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THE  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH 


AND 


Early  Ecclesiastical  Laws 
of  Connecticut 


PRECEDED  BY  A  CHAPTER  ON 


THE    CHURCH    IN    AMERICA 


BY, 

JAMES  "SHEPARD 


REPRINTED  FROM  HIS 

History  of  St.  Mark's  Church,  New  Britain,  Conn. 

AND  OF   ITS   PREDECESSOR 

Christ  Church,  Wethersfield  and  Berlin 


new   BRITAIN,    CONN. 
1908 


THE   TITTLE,    MOREHOUSE  &   TAYLOR    COMPANY 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 


PAGE 

Foreword     i 

Index  of  Subjects iii 

Index  of  Persons    ix 

I.  The  Church  in  America. 

History    15 

II.  The  Church  in  Connecticut.  t 

History    37 

The  Bishops  of  Connecticut : 

Brief    mention    105 

Biographical   Sketches : 

Right  Rev.  Samuel   Seabury,   D.D 106 

Right  Rev.  Abraham   Jarvis,   D.D 108 

Right  Rev.  John  Henry  Hobart,   D.D no 

Right  Rev.  Thomas  Church  Brownell,  D.D in 

Right  Rev.  John  Williams,    D.D 112 

Right  Rev.  Chauncey  Bunce  Brewster,  D.D 114 

Synopsis  of  Connecticut  Laws  relating  to  Ecclesiastical  mat- 
ters  1636-1821    116 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


Certificate  by  Bishop  Seabury    Facing  page  Z^ 

Portrait  of  Bishop  Seabury    Facing  page  106 

Portrait  of  Bishop  Jarvis     Facing  page  108 

Portrait  of  Bishop  Brownell     Facing  page  in 

Portrait  of  Bishop  Williams    Facing  page  112 

Portrait  of  Bishop  Brewster     Facing  page  114 


FOREWORD 


Although  these  pages  were  prepared  especially  as  prelim- 
inary matter  for  a  local  history,  they  are  believed  to  be  of 
sufficient  general  interest  for  publication  in  a  separate  volume. 
In  fact,  many  who  are  not  particularly  interested  in  St. 
Mark's  Parish  have  expressed  a  desire  to  own  this  prelimi- 
nary history,  provided  they  could  do  so  without  buying  also 
five  hundred  and  seventy-seven  pages  of  local  history  that  they 
do  not  care  for.  In  order  to  satisfy  this  demand  we  publish 
this  little  hand-book  of  the  Church  of  Connecticut. 

We  also  take  this  opportunity  to  ask  librarians,  historians, 
and  genealogists  to  examine  carefully  into  the  merits  and 
scope  of  our  History  of  St.  Mark's  Church.  The  "Church 
Standard"  of  Philadelphia  says  that  it  is  "a  standard  for 
others  to  follow." 

James  Shepard. 
New  Britain,  Conn.,  January,  1908. 


INDEX  OF  SUBJECTS 


PAGE 

Aberdeen,  Scotland 31 

Academy  at  Stratford 65 

Acting  Bishop 98 

Adamites    38,  1 1 7 

Africa   26,  loi 

African  Mission  School loi 

Alabama   102 

Almanac,  first  Churchman's  ...  33 
Almanac,  first  with  Church  Days,    20 

Amboy,  N.  J 22 

America  13  to  33 

Anti-Episcopal    Convention,   27,   28, 
29,  30,  78,  79 

Assessment  of  1813 97 

Atheism    125 

Autographs  of  Churchmen  ....  67 
Baptism,     first      Episcopal     in 

Conn 42 

Baptism,  first  in  America   16 

Baptism   of   children.  38,39,40,118, 

121 
Baptists,  40,  50,  55,  122,  123,  126,  127 

Barkhamsted  94 

Belfast,  Me 16 

Bible,  approved  editions   99 

Bible,  not  read  in  public  by  the 

Standing  Order   76,  77 

Bible,  see  Word 117 

Bibles,  for  every  family 122 

Bibles,     incorrect     edition     dis- 
tributed        98 

Bible  &  Prayer  Book  Society  . .  97 
Biographical  notices  of  clergy,  92 
Biographical    Sketches,    106   to    115 

Bishop  Brownell,  elected 100 

Bishop  Brownell's  Western  vis- 
itation       loi 

Bishop,  first  consecration  of  in 

America      33 

Bishop,  for  New  England 18 

Bishop,  invited  to  act  98 

Bishop  of  Conn.,  elected,  31,  84,  92 
Bishop  of  New  York,  elected  . .  32 
Bishop  of  Pennsylvania,  elected,  32 
Bishop  of  Vermont,  elected  ...  33 
Bishop  of  Virginia,  elected  ....     32 

Bishop,  petitioned  for   23,  25 

Bishop  Seabury,  elected 84 

Bishop's  Address,  first  printed,     95 

Bishops,  appointment  of  opposed,  25, 

21,  28, 29,  30,  78,  79 


PAGE 

Bishops,  effort  for   26, 31 

Bishops,  fear  of    29,  30 

Bishops,  first  house  of 32 

Bishop's  Fund    96, 97 

Bishops,   non-juring    23 

Bishops,  Scottish   87 

Bishop's  signatures    93 

Bishops  of  Connecticut.  .  .105  to  115 

Bishop's   support    86,  89,  96, 97 

Blasphemy    116, 129 

Bloomfield    58 

Boarders    122 

Boarders,  must  join  family  wor- 
ship      -121 

Boston,  Mass 17,  20, 24 

Boston  Synod  119 

Bridgeport   100 

Brooklyn,    Conn 59,  ^2,  100,  126 

Burlington,  N.  J 23 

California   15 

Canons  adopted   93 

Canons,  Ancient  96 

Cape  Cod  16 

Capital  laws    116 

Catechist    53, 61 

Catechist  at  Stratford   62 

Catechist,  interfered  with  61 

Census,  Episcopal  &  Non-Epis- 
copal     29,  80, 81,  82 

Census  of  Connecticut,  1774,  29,  80, 

81,  82 
Certificate  law,  "]}„  85,  88,  127,  128, 

129 

Certificates  of  withdrawal 94 

Charleston,  S.  C 20, 21 

Charter  of  the  S.  P.  G 21 

Christ  Church,  Boston    ...24,33,47 

Christ  Church,  Hartford   94 

Christ  Church,  Middletown.  93,  97, 

108,  113 

Christ  Church,  Philadelphia,  21,  23, 

32 

Christ  Church,  Rye,  N.  Y 114 

Christ  Church,  Savannah,   Ga.,     25 

Christ  Church,  Stratford,  45,  47,  48, 

.49,  64 

Christian  Knowledge  Society,  98, 125 

Christmas  Sermon 88 

Church  built  at  Brooklyn,  Conn.,     59 
Church  building,  first  in  Amer- 
ica         17 


IV 


INDEX    OF    SUBJECTS. 


PAGE 

Church  building,  first  in  Penn.,  ig 
Church  building,  first  in  process 

of  construction  in  Conn 48 

Church  building,  oldest  in  Conn.,  102 
Church      building,      oldest      in 

Northern  States  23 

Churches  and  towns  in  Conn.,  40,  75, 
76,  102,  103,  104 
Churches,  established  by  law,  "jz,  126 
Churches,  first  three  in  Conn.  . .  49 
Churches,  in  1760,  75;    in  1777,  76; 

in  1799,  103,  104 
Churches,    majority    of     adopt 

constitution    90 

Churches,    new    ones    only    bj'^ 

consent  of  General  Court,  38,  117 
Churches,  only  one  relieved  by 

law  of  1727   53 

Churches,  regulated    117,118 

Church,  first  organized  in  Conn.,  45 
Church,  first  step  for  collective 

body    31 

Church  of  England,  first  named 

in  statutes    122 

Church  of  England,  first  record 

in  Conn 38 

Church    of     England,    granted 

right  to  tax  themselves. . .  .32,  123 
Church     of      England,     legally 

Presbyterian    39 

Church    of    England,    members 

of 38,  39,  118 

Church    of    England    minister, 

legalized   52,  122,  123 

Church  of  England,  recognized 

in  law 122,  123,  127 

Churchmen,  find   favor    72,126 

Churchmen,  hardships  of,  17,  18,  19, 

26,  31,  42, 49,  50,  59,  68,  69,  71 

Churchmen,  increase  in  number,     75 

Churchmen,  in  majority   76 

Church  papers    94 

Churchmen,  pay  double  rates  . .  74 
Churchmen,  unjustly  accused,  73,74 
Church     services    by     minister, 

allowed  by  law    68,122,123 

Church   statistics    33 

Church,  supported  by  law 30 

Claremont,  N.  H '}>Z 

Clergy,  first  meet  the  Bishop  in 

America    31 

Clergy,     list    in     1777,    76;      in 

1799,  103,  104 
Clergy,   ordained   by   Bps.    Sea- 
bury  and  Jarvis  91, 92 

Clergyman,    first    Episcopal    in 

Mass 17 

Clergyman,  first  in  South  Caro- 
lina       20 


PAGE 

Clergymen,  number  of  ..30,75,102 
Clergymen,  only  four  in  North 

America    20 

Clergymen,  permitted  in  Pa.   . .     20 

Collectors,  powers  of  123 

Communion   Ofiice    32,  87,  88 

Compulsory  minister's   support, 

116,  117 

Concordate    87 

Confirmation,  the  first  91 

Congregational  accessions,  23,  ■^2)^  45, 

^                                               55.  56,  75 
Congregational  Association   ...     27 
Congregational  Church,  Berlin,    94 
Congregational     Churches     ap- 
proved      39,  1 19 

Congregational  Churches  regu- 
lated     38,43,118 

Congregational     Church,     New 

London    41 

Congregational,  first  mention  in 

the  laws    39, 1 19 

Congregational  way  alone  prac- 
ticed         -i)! 

Congregationalism  in  Mass.  ...  33 
CongregationaHst,  first  to  come 

over    45 

Congregationalists  at  Hartford 

divided    38 

Congregationahsts  in  Virginia,  19 
Connecticut,  22,  26,  29,  31.  33, 
34  to  129 
Connecticut  Bible  Society  ....  98 
Connecticut,  Non-Episcopal  cen- 
sus of  79  to  82 

Consecration,  at  New  London,  88 
Consecration,  Bishop-elect  failed 

of 31 

Consecration,  first  of  a  church, 

32,91 

Consecration,  of  Bishops    32 

Consecration  of  Bp.  Brownell,  100 
Consecration  of  Bp.  Hobart  ..  11 1 
Consecration  of  Bp.  Jar\^is,  92,  109 
Consecration  of  Bp.  Seabury,  31,86. 

107 
Consecration  of    Bp.    Williams,  113 
Consecration,  last  by  Bp.    Sea- 
bury    91 

Constitution  of  Church  adopted,  88. 

89,90 

Convention,  Anti-Episcopal.  2^,  28, 

29,  78,  79 

Convention,  first  Annual 89 

Convention,  first  General   ...  .28,  32 

Convention  of  clergy  26 

Convention  of  Conn,  clergy  ..31,86 

Convention,  marching  to   93 

Convocation    87 


INDEX    OF    SUBJECTS. 


Cures,  number  of,  30,  75,  95,    102, 
103,  104 
Denomination,    first    named    in 

Conn 38,  119 

Derby    100 

Diocese   of    Connecticut    estab- 
lished         89 

Dioceses,  union  of 32 

Dissenters     from     Standing- 
Order    119,  123,  127,129 

Dissenters  in  England   28,  78 

Dissenting     ministers     become 

Churchmen    45,  47,  55-  56 

Dissenters    settled    Connecticut,    2)7 

Dutch  Church  19 

Ecclesiastical  laws   116  to  129 

Election   Sermon    99 

Elizabeth,  N.  J 27 

Enfield    126 

Episcopal  Academy    90,  97,  loi 

Episcopal  acts  by  Bp.  Griswold,  98 
Episcopal  attire,  first  worn  ....  88 
Episcopal  Church  established  by 

law   ^2,  126 

Episcopal  College    loi 

Episcopal  dissenters    127 

Episcopal,  first  use  of  the  word 

in   Connecticut  laws   85,127 

Episcopal  oppression    28 

Episcopahans,  lenity  with  regard 

to    ." 28 

Episcopalians,  proportion   of,  29, 82 

Episcopalians,  taxing   123 

Episcopate    78 

Episcopate,   Discourse   on   pub- 
lished       24 

Episcopate  discussed 27 

Exeter  parish    89 

Family    worship     120,  121 

Fairfield,     44, 46,  48,  50,  51,  54,  55-  61. 
65,  68,  72 

Fast  Day   91 

Favors  to  Standing  Order,  66,67,71 

Franklin,  Conn 100 

Fundamental  Orders 116 

General  Association,  Journal  of,  28 
General  Association   of    Conn., 

27,  128 

General  Consociation   124 

General  Convention    loi 

Georgia  25 

Good  Friday,  first  appointed  as 

Fast  Day    91 

Gospel     service,     appropriation 

for    64,  124 

Granby    137 

Greenwich    66,  68,  71 

Groton    50,  68 

Guilford    58,78,124 


Half-way    Covenant,    39,40,85,118, 

119,  121 

Hampton,  Va 17 

Hartford    40,  ii8 

Hartford,  Second  Church    ....   119 

Harwinton   91 

Hebron    57.68 

Henrico,  Va 20 

Heretics    38,  117 

Historical     information,    where 

found   102 

Holy  orders,  desired 24 

Horse   Neck    66 

Idolatry    116 

Indians    16,  17, 25,  58,  6r,  1 19 

Inhabitant,  first  white  in  Rhode 

Island 18 

Jamaica,  L.  1 22,  106 

Jamestown,  Va 16,  17 

Jerseys  22 

Journal,  first  parish  reports  in,     95 

Journals,  first  printed   90 

Kennebec,  Me 17 

Kent  Island,  Md \^ 

King's  Chapel    20,  21,  ZZ,  93 

King's  College    26 

King's  instructions   to    Govern- 
ors       21 

Land  fund  124 

Lay  reader  53 

Laws  of  Colony,  first  printed  . .   120 

Lebanon    89 

Ledyard    65 

Legislature,  listen  to  Bp.  Brown- 
ell 99 

Library.    Somaster's    66 

Litchfield    58,88 

Long  Hill  46 

Maine    15,  18, 19 

Marriage,      first      recorded      in 

America    17 

Martha's  Vineyard   16 

Maryland    18,  22,  30 

Massachusetts    17,  19.  21,  29,  Zl 

Meeting  houses    66,  122,  123,  125 

Meetings  in  private  houses,  for- 
bidden        122 

Memorial  of  Churchmen 67 

Meriden    114 

Methodism  32 

Middletown    86, 90,  91, 93,  97,  108 

Milford    11 

Minister,    Congregational,    first 

to  come  over    45 

Minister,  Episcopal,  only  one  in 

Conn 49 

Minister,    first   Episcopal   made 
D.D.  by  Yale    100 


VI 


INDEX    OF    SUBJECTS. 


PAGE 

Minister,      first     Episcopal     to 

preach  in  Conn 41 

Minister,  first  in  Boston  17 

Minister,  first  in  Maryland  ....      18 
Alinister,  first  in  Rhode  Island,     18 
Ministers  and  the  marriage  ser- 
vice       126 

Ministers,  colored   loi 

Ministers,     dissenting,     become 

Churchmen    45,  47,  56 

Ministers,  educated  at  Yale  or 

Harvard    124 

Ministers,  exempt   from  taxes,   121 
Ministers  in  1760,  75;    in  1777,  76; 
in   1799,   103,   104 

Ministers,  irregular   122 

Ministers,  long  service 100 

Ministers,  marriage  by  legalized,    120 
Ministers,  none  but  settled  and 

approved  to  be  attended  ..38,118 
Ministers,  number  of  Congrega- 
tional,   1766    75 

Ministers,  only  one  for  14  places,     53 

Minister's   support,  37,   38,  41,   116, 

117,  120,  121,  124 

Minister,  violating  canons 96 

Missionaries,  contributions   for,  128 
Missionaries  for  New  London, 

Newtown  and  Redding   55 

Missionaries  in  1756,  75;   in  1777,  i(i 
Missionaries,  must  be  asked  for,     30 
Missionaries  of  the  S.  P.  G.  ar- 
rive       22 

Missionaries  of  S.  P.  G.,  duties 

of 56 

Missionaries  of  S.  P.  G.,  first  9 

in  Conn,  had  been  dissenters,     56 
Missionaries,    sent    only    where 

wanted    57 

Missionaries,  want  of    ....58,59,60 

Missionary  appointed  24,  46 

Missionary  at  Rye,  N.  Y 42 

Missionary,    first    appointed    to 

Conn 46 

Missionary  for  Fairfield   62 

Missionary    for   North    Groton,     56 
Missionary,     itinerant     of     the 

Colony    56 

Missionary  Society   97 

Missionary    S.    P.    G.,    first    in 

Conn 41 

Missionary  to  Africa   26,  loi 

Missionary  work,  first  contribu- 
tion           16 

Moravians    124 

New   Britain    78 

New  Brunswick,  N.  J 106 

New  England  25 

New  England  Colonies 22 


New  Fairfield  58,68,69 

New  Foundland  IS,  16 

New  Hampshire    17,  18,  29 

New  Haven,  Conn.,  23,  55, 83, 99, 109 

New  Haven   laws    120 

New  Jersey  23,  26,  29 

New  London,  41,  55,  65,  69,  84,  88, 

106 

New   Milford    45,58,126 

Newport,   R.    1 23 

Newtown,  47,  48,  72,  76,  83,  84,  93, 
100,  125 

New  York  19,  21,  22,  23,  26, 29 

North   Carolina    16 

North  Groton  55,  56, 65,  66 

North   Guilford    70 

North  Haven    47, 48 

Norwalk,    Conn.    . .  -Z^,  46,  48,  68, 91 

Norwich    58,  100 

Nova   Scotia    85 

Ordination,  first  in  America,  32,  86, 

.       .  .  91 

Ordination,    going    to    England 

for   ..24,  42,  47,  53,  55,  56 

Ordination,  lives  lost  for   26 

Ordination,  Presbyterian  ....  23 
Ordinations,  by  English  Bishops,     92 

Ordinations,  list  of    91,  92 

Organs  for  Churches   93,  94 

Parishes,  adopt  constitution  ...  89 
Parishes,    number    of,    75,    76,    102, 

103,  104 
Parish,  first  formed  in  the  Dio- 
cese         8g 

Parish,  first  organized  in  New 

England    18 

Parish  reports,  first  95 

Pennsylvania   19,  22,  29 

Penobscot    16 

Periodicals,   Church    94 

Philadelphia,    Pa 21,  23,  32 

Pomf ret    59,  126 

Popery    126 

Popham  Colony   17 

Portsmouth,  N.  H 18 

Prayer  Book,  Bp.  Brownell's  .  .  100 
Prayer  Book,  Bp.  Seabury's  .  .  90 
Prayer  Book,  changes  in    ....32,88 

Prayer  Book,  discussed 87 

Prayer  Book,  first  in  New  Eng- 
land         16 

Prayer  Book,  first  used  in  U.  S.,   15 

Prayer  Book,  Proposed 32 

■Prayer  Book,  desired  44-49 

Prayer  Book,  revised  88 

Prayer  Book,  ridiculed    21 

Prayer  Book  service  by  lavmen, 

68,  69 
Praj-er  Book,  service  denounced,    17 


INDEX    OF    SUBJECTS. 


Vll 


PAGE 

Prayer  Book,    service    required 

by  law   22 

Prayer  Book,  study  of  23 

Prayer  Book,  use  of  prohibited,  19 
Preachers,  irregular   ....69,124,125 

Preaching  candidates   95 

Presbyterian,    Church   of    Eng- 
land         39 

Presbyterian  Synod 27,  78 

President  of  U.  S.,  address  to,    92 

Protestants    125 

Protestant  Episcopal,  name  first 

used    31 

Providence   18,  24 

Public  service  attending,  68,  117,  119, 
122,  125, 127,  128 

Public  worship,  fund  for 128 

Puritan  ministers  in  Virginia  .  .      18 

Quakerism    22 

Quakers,  2.Z,  38,  40,  50,  55,  71,  117, 
123,  127 
Queen's     Chapel,     Portsmouth, 

N.  H 25 

Ranters    38,    117 

Redding    45,  66,  71,  76,  84 

Religious  equality    33,  129 

Religious  freedom,    119,  121,  125,  129 
Religious  instruction  and  select- 
men        116 

ReHgious  sects    40,  75 

Religious  societies  129 

Revolutionary  War 31,  83,  84 

Rhode  Island    r8,  21,  23,  29 

Ripton   48 

Rival  service  forbidden  iiS 

Rogerenes    40, 41 

Roman  Catholics  23 

Rye,  N.  Y 4; 

Saco,  Me 18 

Savages  16 

Savannah,  Ga 25 

Saybrook    20 

Saybrook  Convention  121 

Saybrook  Platform    39, 86,  I2t 

Schenectady,  N.  Y 113 

Schools,  62,  63,  64,  65,  66,  67,  128 
Schools,  Colony,  support  of  . . .  64 
Schools,  Episcopal,    62,    63,    64,    65, 

66,  67 
School  fund  diverted  .  .  .  .64,67,  128 
School  master  at  Fairfield  ..62,  65 
School  master  at  Ledyard  ....  65 
School  master  at  North  Groton,  (^-^ 
School  master  at  Stratford  ..63,64 
School  master  for  Indians  ....     65 

School  masters,  duties  of  60 

School,  money  raised  to  support,     63 

Schools,  law  to  suppress 65 

Schools,  want  of  60 


PAGE 

Scotland    125 

Second    Church,    Hartford,    es- 
tablished        40 

Sectaries,  prohibited 44,  117 

Sects,  in  Conn 40,  50,75 

Sects,  in  New  England 75 

Selectmen  and  Bibles  122 

Selectmen  and   family  worship,  120 
Selectmen  and  religious  instruc- 
tion       116 

Separatists   50,  124,  127 

Service,  asked  for  42 

Service,  attempt  to  suppress,  42, 43, 

68,  69 
Service,      Episcopal,      no      law 

against 43 

Service,  enjoined  by  first  charter 

for  an  English  Colony 15 

Service,  enjoined  by  the  King,  21 
Service,  first  desire  for  in  Conn.,     41 

Service,  first  in  Conn 42 

Service,  first  in  New  England,  17 
Service,      first     of      permanent 

Church    16 

Service,      first      of      reformed 

Church    15 

Service  in  New  York 19 

Service  of  unreformed  Church,     15 

Service  on  early  ships   15 

Services,  by  lay  reader,  prose- 
cutions for  attending  68 

Seven-day  men  40 

Simsbury    58,  71,  83 

Societies  and  towns   Zl 

Society  for  the  Propagation  of 

the  "Gospel   21,  30,  56, 60, 85 

Society  meetings    123 

Society  treasurer   126 

Somers    126 

South    Carolina    20,  21,  22 

Southern  Colonies  29 

St.  Andrew's,  Meriden 114 

St.  George's,   Schenectady    ....   113 

St.  James,  Derby 109 

St.  James,  New  London  106 

St.  John's  Harbor  16 

St.  John's,  New  Milford 12,  126 

St.  John's,  Waterbury   113 

St.  Mark's,  Harwinton 91 

St.  Mary's,  Burlington,  N.  J.  .  .  22 
St.  Michael's,  Charleston,  S.  C,  20 
St.  Peter's,  Westchester,  N.  Y.  106 

Stamford    68,  71,  72,  100 

Stamp  act  26 

Standing  Committee  89 

Standing  Order  favored,  66,67,71 
State  Officer,  first  Episcopal  ...  99 
Straight    Congregationalists,    55, 86, 

127 


INDEX    OF    SUBJECTS. 


PAGE 

Stratford,    24,  41,  42,  z}4.  45.  46,  47,  48, 

49,  63.  64,  65,  68,  70,  126 

Studying  for  the  Ministry   ....     48 

Sunday  laws,  119,  122,  125,  127,  128 

Sunday  Schools    25,  100 

Sunday  School,  the  first  25 

Synod  of  N.  Y.  and  Phil 27,  78 

Taxes   for  Standing  Order,  50,  51, 

52,  53,  54.  59.  60,  69,  70,  71,  72, 

TZ,  116,  117,  122,  123,  127 

Thanksgiving  in  Lent   91 

Theological  Seminary    100 

Toleration  act,  39,  43,  44,  54,   119, 

121,  124 

Towns,  26  in  Conn 40 

Towns,  to  call  the  minister  . . .    121 
Towns  without  ministers  taxed,  120 

Trinity,  Boston    33 

Trinity  College    loi 

Trinity,  Fairfield    72,  126 

Trinity,  New  Haven,  92,  93,  100,  109 

Trinity,  Newport  21,  23 

Unitarians    33 

Vagrant  preachers 74,  125 

Vermont  33 


PAGE 

Virginia  16,  17,  18,  19,  22,  30 

Voting  in  Society  meetings   .  .  .    123 

Wallingf  ord  57,  58,  70 

Washington  College  loi 

Waterbury   7i.  1 13 

Western      visitation      by      Bp. 

Brownell   loi 

West    Haven,    Conn.,    23,  47,  56,  66, 

10.2 

Wethersfield    118 

Weymouth,  Mass 17 

Windsor    118,  126 

Williamsburg,  Va 23 

William    and    Mary    College,   21,26 

Willington 126 

Woodbury    31,  66,  84 

Word  of  God,  contempt  of  pun- 
ished      117 

Worship,     compulsory     attend- 
ance     68,  117,  122,  125,  128 

Worship,  freedom  to  granted,  39,  43, 

119,  121 
Worship,  no  form  of  forbidden,     37 

Yale  College   23,  24,  26,  47,  100 

Yale  College  Chapel 26 


INDEX  OF  PERSONS 


Adams,  John  92 

Alison,  Francis  27 

Allen,  Timothy  65 

Alsop,  Richard  93 

Andross,  Edmund   21 

Andrews,   Samuel    76,  84 

Arnold,   Jonathan    ..56,57,68,71,77 

Atkinson    115 

Baldwin,   Ashbel    91,  93, 103 

Baltimore,  Lord  18 

Bass,  Edward  92, 109 

Beach,  John  55,  58,  60,  68,  71,  72. 
74,  75,  76,  77,  83,  84,  100 

Beach,  Joseph  64 

Beardsley,    Ebenezer    Edwards    S2i, 
43,  44,  76,  84,  90,  93,  97,  98,  112 

Beasley,  Frederick 109 

Bennett,  Cornelius   63,  65 

Berkeley   25 

Blackstone,  William  17,  iS 

Blair,  James  20,  21 

Blake   60 

Blakesley,  Solomon  103 

Bostwick,   Gideon    76,  84 

Bowden,  John 92,  103,  109,  no 

Boj'le,  Robert   19 

Bray,  Thomas  21,  22 

Brett,  Daniel  22 

Brewster,  Chauncey  Bunce  105,  114, 

115 

Brewster,  Joseph     1 14 

Brewster,  Sarah  Bunce   114 

Brewster,  William  114 

Brownson,  Tilotson    103 

Brown,  Arthur   2=, 

Brown,  Daniel    23,  24,  47 

Browne,  George  Israel 59 

Brown,  John    17 

Brown,  Joseph    63,  64,  65 

Brown,  Samuel  17 

Brownell,  Mercy  Church    in 

Browneil,  Sylvester  in 

Brownell,    Thomas    Church   91,   99, 
100,  loi,  102,  105,  III,  112,  113 

Brush,  Naomi   108 

Bunce,   Sarah    114 

Burgess,   George    113 

Burhans,  Daniel  93,  104 

Burnham,  Gordon  W 112 

Butler    Ill 

Butler,  David    103 


Cabot,  John  15 

Callahan,  John   104 

Calvert,  Cecilius  18 

Camp,  Ichabod  109 

Campanius,  John   19 

Caner,  Henry  48,  53,  54,  55,  60,  62, 
66,  68,  71,  72 

Caner,  Richard  65 

Chandler,  Mary  Goodwin  no 

Chandler,  Thomas     Bradbury     106, 
108,  no 

Chapin,  A.  B 92 

Chase,  Philander 109,  113 

Church,  Mercy  in 

Claggett,  Thomas  John  ^3,  91,  109 

Clark   19 

Clark,  Richard  S 76,  84 

Clayborn,  William  17 

Clayton,  Thomas   21 

Coleman,  Leighton    33 

Compton 20,  61 

Cornbury    42 

Coxe,  Arthur  Cleveland   118 

Croswell,  Harry   99,   100 

Curtice,  Joseph   42,  43 

Cutler,  Timothy 23,  24,  25,  47 

Dare,  Virginia    16 

DeLancy,  William  Heathcote  . .   113 

Deshon    114 

Dibblee,  Ebenezer 72,  76,  100 

Dickinson,  Charlott    in 

Dickinson,  Tertullus  in 

Digby   107 

Dongan   21 

Drake,  Francis   15 

Durand    19 

Eastburn   113 

Evans    44 

Fanning,  Edmund  107 

Farmar,  Ann  108 

Farmar,  Samuel   108 

Fingley    66 

Fitch,  Joseph 39 

Fletcher 15 

Fogg,  Daniel  60,  76,  100, 103 

Fowler,  Samuel   70 

Franklin,  Benjamin 26 

Frobisher   15 

Furgeson    91 

Gibbs.  William  58,  70,  76, 84 

Gibson,  Richard  18 


INDEX    OF    PERSONS. 


PAGE 

Gilbert,  Humphrey    15 

Gilbert,  Jonathan   39 

Gleason,  E 28 

Gold,  Nathan 48,  61 

Goodrich,  Elizur  29,  2>1>  72,,  79.  82,  83 

Goodwin,  William  38 

Gordon,  Patrick 22 

Gorges,  Robert 17 

Gorges,  William  18 

Gosnold 16 

Grannis,  Edward  39 

Graves,  Matthew  65,  70,  76,  84 

Green  115 

Green,  Samuel    120 

Green,  T.    . 87,90 

Green,  William    104 

Gyles,  John    20 

Griswold,   Alexander  Viets   91,   98. 

100,  X03 

Hariot,  Thomas   16 

Harrison  19 

Hawkins     18 

Heathcote,    Caleb    42,  45, 46 

Henshaw,  John  Prentice  Kewly  113 

Hoadley,  George   90 

Hobart,  Enoch    no 

Hobart,  Hannah   Pratt    no 

Hobart,    John    Henry    79,96,98,99, 
100,  loi,  105,  no.  III 

Honeyman,  James  22, 

Plooker,  Thomas    86 

Hooper,  Joseph    102,110,115 

Hopkins,  John  Henry 113 

Hubbard,  Bela  72,  76,  83,   100,  103, 

108 

Hudson,   James    42 

Humphrey,   Michael    38 

Huntington,  Samuel   91 

Hutchinson    65 

Ingersoll,  Jonathan 99,  100 

IngHs    106 

Innes,  Alexander 19,  22 

Ives,  Reuben 100,  103 

James,   Richard    17 

Jarvis,  Abraham  76,83,85,86,91,92, 

93,  96,  98,  99,  103,   105,   108,  109, 

no 

Jarvis,  Lucy    Gushing    84 

Jarvis,  Naomi  Brush   108 

Jarvis,  Samuel    108 

Jarvis,  Samuel  Farmar no,  113 

Johnson,  Samuel  23,  24,  25,  26,  33, 

47,  48,  49,  50,  53,  54,  55,  56,  58, 

61,  62,  63,  64,  65,  67,  68,  70,  71, 

72,   75,   78,   84,    108 

Jones    66 

Jordan,  Robert  18,  19,  20 

Keith,  George 22,  41,  42,  46 

Keppel,  Frederick   108 


PAGE 

Kilbourn,  D.  C 46 

Kilgour,  Robert  107 

Kneeland,  Ebenezer  66,  76,  84 

Laborie,  James  61 

Laud    18 

Leaming,  Jeremiah  31,  83,  84,  85,  86, 

103 

Lee,  Alfred  113 

Leete,  William   40 

Leslie   24 

Lewis,  Lucy  108 

Lewis,  Nathaniel   108 

Lockyer    21 

Longmans  115 

Love,  W.  DeLoss  Jr 91 

Luscombe  113 

Lyttleton,  Charles   108 

Madison,  James  32 

Malbone,  Godfrey  59 

Mansfield,  Richard   76,  100,  103 

Manteo    ,     16 

Marsh,  Jonathan    88 

Marsh,  Truman    103 

Marshall,  John  Rutgers 66,  76 

Marverick,  Samuel    17 

Mary,  Queen  54,  121 

Mather    79,83 

Mather,  Cotton 17 

Meeham,  Joseph 126 

Miles,  Smith   103 

Morrell,  William  17 

Morris,  Theophilos  57,  58, 68 

Moseley,   Richard    59 

Moses,  John 38 

Muirson,  George   . .  .42, 43, 44, 45,  46 

Mumford,  Abigail  106 

Newton,  Christopher    76 

Nichols,  James   76 

Nicholson,   Francis    21 

Nott,  Eliphalet   ill 

Nott,  Samuel  100 

Oglethorpe,  James  25 

Olmstead,  Nicholas  39 

Orcutt,  Samuel  45,  46,  64 

Osbaldiston,  Richard   106,  108 

Oson,  Jacob loi 

Palmer,  Solomon 77 

Penn,   William    19,  20 

Perry,    William    Stevens    16,31,33, 

66,84 

Peters,  Samuel  33,  76 

Petrie,  Arthur 107 

Philips,   Francis    46,  73 

Pigott,   George    47,  48,  61 

Pitkin,   William    38,  39 

Pratt,  Hannah    no 

Prindle,  Chauncey 103 

Pring   16 

Provoost,   Samuel    32,  91,  92 


INDEX    OF    PERSONS. 


PAGE 

Punderson,  Ebenezer  26,  56,  58,  68, 
69,  71,  ^2,  74 

Raikes,  Robert  25 

Raleigh    16 

Ratcliffe,  Robert    20 

Read,  John    45 

Reeve,  Robert  38 

Robinson,  John    "]"] 

Rogers,  Ammi    95,  96 

Rogers,  Evan   104 

Ross    79 

Sabine    84 

Sahnon,  Thomas    62 

Salter  93 

Salterne,  William 16 

Saltonstall,  Gurdon 41 

Sayre,  John  76 

Scovill,  James 76,  84 

Seabury,  Abigail   Mumford    . . .    106 

Seabury,  Charles    103 

Seabury,  Samuel  26,  31,  32,  55,  57,  58, 
68,  71,  T2,  76,  84,  85,  86,  87,  h8, 90,  91, 
92,  93,  99,  105,  106,  107,  109,  no 

Sewall,  Richard  z\ 

Seymour,  Richard   17 

Shelton,  Philo 91,  100,  103 

Sherlock,  Thomas   • 106 

Skinner,  John   107 

Smalley,  John  78 

Smith   118 

Smith,  Robert   109 

Smith,  William    103,  109 

Somasters    65,  66 

Sprague  in 

Sproat   27 

Stafford,  Richard 15 

Steadman,  John   38,  39 

Stebbins,  Cyrus in 

Steere,  Richard 41 

Stiles,  (Styles)     75 

Stiles,  Henry  R 39,  n 8 

Styles,  Isaac    46 

Swords,  T.  &  J 33,  98, 

Talbot,    John    22,23,41,45,46,49,73 

Talcott,  Joseph   49 

Talcott,  Ruth    45 

Taylor,  Nathaniel   79 

Thomas,  John   106 

Thomas,  Samuel    22 


PAGE 

Thompson,  Ebenezer    61 

Thompson,  Thomas    26 

Todd,  Ambrose   103 

Trowbridge,  Emily  112 

TuUey,  John   20 

Tyler,  John    59,  76,  83,  100,  103 

Van  Dyke 91 

Vesey   42 

Viets,  Roger  58,  75,  76,  84 

Walker    39 

Walter,  William 108 

Ward,  Moses 51 

Wasliington,  George  91,107 

Wells,  Noah   78,  79,  108 

Welton,   Robert    23 

Wesley,  Charles   25 

Wesley,  John    25 

Westover,  Jonas 38 

Wetmore,  James    ...24,47,68,70,71 

Weymouth,  Richard   16 

Wheaton,  Nathaniel  Sheldon  . .     99 

White 16 

White,  Calvin   104 

White,  Henry   90 

White,  William  31,  2)^,  92,  100,  no, 

III 

Whitefield,  George    25,74,75 

Whiting,  John 39,  119 

Whitman    79 

Whittaker,  Thomas 33 

Whittlesey,    Eliphalet    78 

Wilberforce   33 

Wilkins,   Isaac    106 

William,  King 54,  121 

Williams,  Emily  Trowbridge  ..    112 

Williams,  Ephraim    112 

Williams,  John     105,  1 12,  1 14 

Williamson,  Atkin 20 

Willoughby,  Hugh 15 

Wilson    26 

Winslow   70 

Winthrop,  Fitzjohn     41 

Winthrop,  John   18 

Wolcott,  Oliver   99 

Wolfall,  Master   15 

Woolley,  Charles   19 

Wright    90 

Yale,  Elihu 24 

Zoubelbudler,  Bartholomew  ...     25 


I.    THE    CHURCH    IN    AMERICA 


THE    CHURCH    IN    AMERICA 


HISTORY 

Every  English  ship  that  came  early  to  this  continent  or  to 
its  borders  had  on  board  a  Chaplain  of  the  Church  of  England 
whose  duty  it  was  to  perform  Divine  Service  daily,  according 
to  the  rules  of  that  Church.  Without  doubt  John  Cabot  in 
1497  carried  with  him  to  America  in  his  ship  "  The  Matthew  " 
some  minister  of  the  Church  of  England.  In  1498  a  priest 
going  to  New  Foundland  was  granted  a  royal  bounty.  Early  in 
the  sixteenth  century,  a  canon  of  St.  Paul's,  London,  was  at  St. 
John's,  New  Foundlaqd,  for  a  while.  But  these  were  of  the 
unreformed  Church. 

In  1553  the  explorers  under  Sir  Hugh  Willoughby  had  with 
them  Master  Richard  Stafford,  Minister  of  their  three  ships. 
This  fleet  was  the  first  in  America  to  have  prayers  and  preach- 
ing under  the  reformed  Church  of  England.  The  Chaplain  of 
Frobisher's  expedition  performed  Divine  Service  along  the 
shores  of  Maine  and  the  Provinces  in  1577.  On  May  31,  1578, 
on  the  shores  of  Hudson's  Bay,  "  Master  Wolfall  celebrated  a 
Communion  upon  land"  for  the  Captain  and  others.  This 
wortliy  man  was  the  first  missionary  priest  of  the  Reformed 
Church  of  England  who  ministered  on  American  shores  and  the 
ice  fields  of  the  North. 

On  June  21,  1579,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Fletcher,  Chaplain  to  Sir 
Francis  Drake,  landed  where  California  now  is  and  performed 
religious  services  for  six  weeks.  He  was  the  first  clergyman 
who  used  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer  in  the  territory  now 
embraced  in  the  United  States. 

It  was  expressly  stated  in  the  first  charter  for  an  English 
Colony  in  America,  which  was  granted  to  Sir  Humphrey  Gilbert 
in  1583,  that  the  laws  of  the  new  settlement  should  not  be 
"against  the  true  Christian  faith  or  religion  now  professed  in 


l6  THE  CHURCH 

the  Church  of  Engiand"  and  the  first  law  enjoined  on  taking 
possession  of  St.  John's  Harbor,  New  Foundland,  was  that  the 
Colony's  religion  should  be  "in  public  exercise  according  to  the 
Church  of  England." 

In  July,  1584,  Raleigh's  first  expedition  landed  at  Roanoke 
Island,  North  Carolina,  where  Divine  Service  was  then  per- 
formed. 

Sir  Thomas  Hariot  labored  in  Virginia,  (now  North  Caro- 
lina,) and  records  his  use  of  the  Prayer  Book  among  "the  poor 
infidels"  in  1585.  He  was  one  of  the  "first  lay  readers  in  the 
American  Church."  The  first  baptisms  in  America  occurred  in 
Raleigh's  second  colony,  under  Governor  White.  Manteo,  an 
Indian  Chief,  was  baptized  Aug.  13,  1587,  at  Roanoke  Island, 
N.  C,  and  seven  days  later  Virginia  Dare  was  baptized,  the  first 
white  child  born  in  America  of  English  parents.  In  1589, 
Raleigh  assigned  his  patent  to  a  company  of  merchants  and 
gave  them  one  hundred  pounds  sterling  "in  especial  regard  and 
zeal  of  planting  the  Christian  religion  in  those  barbarous 
countries."  This  donation  was  the  first  contribution  directly 
for  missionary  work  in  America.  < 

In  1602  and  3,  Gosnold  and  Pring  commanded  expeditions 
which  landed  on  the  New  England  coast.  (Cape  Cod  and 
Martha's  Vineyard.)  They  had  as  lay  reader  one  William 
Salterne,  who  was  ordained  shortly  after  his  return  to  England. 
He  was  the  first  to  use  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer  in  what 
is  now  called  New  England.  Bishop  Perry  says  there  is  every 
reason  to  believe  that  "the  prayers  and  praises  of  the  Leyden 
settlers  ....  were  anticipated  by  the  forms  of  the  Church 
of  England  in  the  very  locality  where  the  Pilgrim  fathers  lived 
and  died." 

In  1605,  an  expedition  sailed  from  Bristol,  Eng.  under  Cap- 
tain Richard  Weymouth,  with  the  declared  object  of  "promul- 
gating of  God's  Holy  Church  by  planting  Christianity."  They 
sailed  up  the  Penobscot  and  erected  a  cross  near  Belfast,  Me. 
The  savages  who  attended  their  worship  were  much  impressed. 
Some  of  these  savages  were  taken  to  England  and  educated. 

The  first  service  of  a  permanent  Church  in  America  was  at 
Jamestown,  where  the  Virginia  Colony  landed,  May  13,  1607, 
with  the  Rev.  Robert  Hunt,  M.A.,  as  their  Chaplain.     A  rustic 


IN  AMERICA.  17 

altar  was  erected  and  the  Holy  Communion  celebrated  for  the 
first  time  June  21,  1607.  The  Virginia  charter  provided  "that 
the  true  word  and  service  of  God  be  preached,  planted,  and 
used,  according  to  the  rites  and  doctrine  of  the  Church  of 
England."     Virginia  never  intermitted. 

The  first  clergyman  to  preach  the  Gospel  in  the  English 
tongue  in  New  England  was  the  Rev.  Richard  Seymour  of  the 
Popham  Colony,  who  preached  at  the  mouth  of  the  Kennebec 
River,  Maine,  Aug.  9,  1607.  The  Indians  who  went  to  Eng- 
land in  1605  returned  with  the  Popham  Colony  and  are  thought 
to  have  become  missionaries  among  their  fellow  red  men. 
These  Episcopal  Indians  afterwards  rendered  valuable  service 
to  the  Plymouth  Pilgrims.  The  first  church  building  in 
America  was  erected  by  this  Popham  Colony  in  the  fall  of 
1607,  a  little  in  advance  of  the  erection  of  the  church  at  James- 
town, but  the  church  in  Maine  was  abandoned  in  1608,  when 
the  Colony  returned  to  England. 

The  first  marriage  recorded  in  America  took  place  at  James- 
town, Va.,  in  1608. 

About  1610,  a  Church  was  organized  at  Hampton,  Va.,  after 
which  we  have  no  religious  history  until  the  landing  of  the 
Pilgrims  at  Plymouth  in  1620.  Shortly  after  their  coming 
the  Rev.  William  Blackstone  settled  at  Boston,  Mass.,  and  was 
the  first  Church  of  England  clergyman  to  settle  within  the 
bounds  of  Massachusetts.  Mather  speaks  of  him  as  one  of 
the  "Godly  Episcopalians." 

In  1623,  the  Rev.  William  Morrell  came  over  with  Robert 
Gorges  and  a  Colony  was  formed  at  Weymouth,  Mass.  He 
was  the  authorized  Ecclesiastical  Commissioner,  but  he  returned 
to  England  in  about  a  year.  The  first  settlers  in  the  New 
Hampshire  Colony,  1623,  were  Churchmen. 

In  1629,  two  brothers,  John  and  Samuel  Brown,  worshipped 
with  Prayer  Books  at  their  house  in  Salem,  Mass.,  and  were 
joined  by  some  of  their  neighbors.  They  were  denounced  as 
ringleaders  of  a  faction  and  sent  back  to  England.  Samuel 
Marverick,  a  Churchman  in  Boston,  was  about  this  time  sub- 
jected to  a  number  of  persecutions.  The  same  year,  under  the 
authority  of  Virginia,  William  Clayborn  established  a  trading 
station  on  Kent  Island,  Maryland.     The  Rev.  Richard  James 


l8  THE    CHURCH 

of  the  English  Church  was  with  him  and  was  the  first  Christian 
minister  in  Maryland. 

In  1630,  the  Rev.  William  Blackstone  of  Boston  sold  his 
farm  and  removed  to  Rhode  Island,  settling  a  few  miles  north 
of  Providence  on  the  river  which  still  bears  his  name.  He 
was  the  first  white  inhabitant  of  that  state  as  well  as  the  first 
minister. 

The  charter  of  Maryland  was  granted  June  30,  1632,  to 
Cecilius  Calvert,  the  second  Lord  Baltimore,  whose  company 
landed  at  St.  Mary's,  March  27,  1634.  A  chapel  was  erected 
here  in  1635  for  services  of  the  English  Church. 

After  the  settlement  of  Rhode  Island,  1635,  the  Rev.  William 
Blackstone  frequently  went  to  Providence  to  preach  the  Gospel. 

In  1636,  William  Gorges  came  out  with  a  patent  for  the  terri- 
tory of  Maine,  which  patent  established  the  Church  of  England 
as  the  religion  of  the  Colony.  The  first  regularly  settled  minis- 
ter was  the  Rev.  Richard  Gibson,  1637,  who  spent  about  seven 
years  at  Saco,  Me.  The  Rev.  Robert  Jordan  about  this  time 
served  as  an  itinerant  minister.  In  1638  a  church  and  par- 
sonage had  been  built  at  Portsmouth,  N.  H.,  and  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Gibson  of  Saco,  Me.,  called  as  Rector.  The  parish  was 
organized  in  1640  and  was  probably  the  first  organization  of 
the  kind  in  New  England. 

In  1638,  Archbishop  Laud  designed  sending  a  Bishop  to  New 
England,  but  his  plans  were  thwarted  by  the  outbreak  of 
troubles  in  Scotland.  [Hawkins'  Historical  Notices  of  the 
Missions  of  the  Church  of  England,  p.  376.] 

In  1641,  New  Hampshire  came  under  the  authority  of  Massa- 
chusetts and  Episcopalians  had  to  suffer.  The  same  year  a 
report  was  made  to  Gov.  Winthrop  that  the  people  of  Saco,  in 
Maine,  "were  much  addicted  to  Episcopacy."  In  1642,  Richard 
Gibson  of  Portsmouth,  N.  H.,  was  tried  in  Boston  for  baptizing 
infants  and  solemnizing  marriages  at  the  Isle  of  Shoals  accord- 
ing to  the  ritual  of  the  Church  of  England.  He  was  banished 
by  the  Puritans  and  never  returned.  The  Church  at  Ports- 
mouth has  no  history  for  ninety  years  after  this. 

About  1642  certain  Puritan  ministers  were  recommended  by 
the  Governor  of  Massachusetts  to  the  Council  of  Virginia, 
where  pious  people  had  invited  them  to  labor,  but  the  next  year 


IN   AMERICA.  19 

they  were  forced  to  leave  that  Episcopal  stronghold  and  return 
to  Massachusetts. 

In  1644-5,  Massachusetts  by  law  forbade  under  heavy  penal- 
ties the  use  of  the  Prayer  Book  in  public  or  private,  and  all 
copies  of  it  were  to  be  delivered  up. 

In  1646  a  Swedish  Episcopal  church  was  built  at  Tinicum, 
which  was  the  first  church  in  Pennsylvania,  and  its  Rector,  the 
Rev.  John  Campanius,  was  at  work  nearly  forty  years  before 
William  Penn's  arrival.  In  this  year  also  petitions  were 
presented  at  Boston  for  permission  to  use  the  Prayer  Book, 
which  were  answered  by  punishing  the  petitioners  for  sedition. 
These  petitions  were  repeated  in  1664  with  the  same  result. 

In  1648,  the  Congregationalists  formed  a  Church  in  Virginia 
with  118  members,  but  its  Elder,  Mr.  Durand,  was  soon 
banished,  and  afterwards  its  pastor,  Mr.  Harrison,  was  obliged 
to  depart. 

On  October  16,  1660,  the  Rev.  Robert  Jordan,  who  lived 
thirty-one  years  at  Falmouth  (now  Portland),  Me.,  preaching, 
except  when  silenced  by  the  Puritans,  was  before  the  General 
Court  of  Massachusetts  for  baptizing  children  and  warned  not 
to  repeat  the  offence.     He  was  finally  imprisoned. 

In  1661,  Robert  Boyle,  Esq.,  was  appointed  the  first  governor 
of  a  company  incorporated  by  His  Majesty  "  For  the  Propaga- 
tion of  the  Gospel  among  the  Heathen  Nations  of  New  Eng- 
land." This  grew  out  of  a  missionary  society  which  was 
formed  in  England  in  1649. 

There  was  no  Episcopal  Service  in  New  York  until  the  Eng- 
lish came  there  to  reside,  when  it  was  expressly  stipulated  that 
liberty  of  conscience  should  be  enjoyed  by  all.  The  first  service 
of  record  was  by  the  Rev.  Charles  Wolley,  1678,  but  it  is  pro- 
able  that  the  English  used  the  Dutch  church  in  the  Fort  for 
their  Prayer  Book  service.  The  service  in  the  Fort  was  all  the 
footing  that  the  English  Church  had  in  New  York  for  more 
than  thirty  years.  The  Rev.  Alexander  Innes  succeeded  Mr. 
Clark  as  the  "orthodox  "  chaplain  at  the  Fort. 

In  1679,  Robert  Jordan,  the  itinerant  preacher  of  Maine, 
died.  He  was  the  sole  priest  of  tlie  Church  in  New  England 
who  was  faithful  to  his  ordination  vows.  The  words  of  Com- 
mon Prayer  were  not  heard  again  in  Maine  for  eighty  years. 


20  THE    CHURCH 

aside  from  that  of  John  Gyles,  a  lay  reader  who  read  prayers  at 
the  garrison  from  1683  to  1688. 

About  the  time  of  Jordan's  death,  1679,  several  persons  peti- 
tioned the  Bishop  of  London  that  a  Church  of  England  be 
allowed  in  Boston,  which  was  granted,  and  King's  Chapel  was 
established  among  as  bitter  enemies  as  the  Church  has  ever 
encountered  on  this  continent.  About  this  time  Bishop  Comp- 
ton,  of  London,  made  inquiry  as  to  how  the  Foreign  Plantation 
was  provided  with  clergymen  and  found  that  there  were  not 
above  four  ministers  of  the  Church  of  England  in  North 
America. 

The  first  clergyman  of  the  Church  to  appear  in  South  Caro- 
lina was  the  Rev.  Atkin  Williamson,  about  1680. 

The  Charter  to  William  Penn  of  Pennsylvania,  1681,  pro- 
vided that  if  twenty  persons  should  apply  to  the  Bishop  of  Lon- 
don for  a  clergyman,  that  he  might  reside  in  the  Province  with- 
out any  denial  or  molestation. 

The  first  church  in  South  Carolina  was  erected  about  1682 
on  the  site  now  occupied  by  St.  Michael's  Church,  at  Charleston. 

The  Church  in  America  was  without  a  head  until  1685,  when 
the  Rev.  James  Blair,  D.D.,  came  as  missionary  to  Virginia 
under  the  Bishop  of  London.  He  was  for  nine  years  Rector  of 
Henrico  Parish  and  in  1689  was  appointed  Commissary  and 
performed  such  oversight  of  the  clergy  for  the  Bishop  as  he 
could  without  actually  being  a  Bishop. 

On  May  23,  1686,  the  Rev.  Robert  Ratcliffe  read  Common 
Prayer  and  preached  in  his  surplice  at  the  Town  House  in 
Boston,  which  was  so  great  a  novelty  to  the  Bostonians  that  he 
had  a  very  large  audience.  On  June  15,  the  members  of  the 
Church  of  England  assembled  for  organization.  They  held 
their  services  in  the  town  hall  for  some  time,  but  finally 
arranged  to  hold  them  in  the  South  Meeting  House  after  the 
Puritans  were  through. 

The  first  New  England  Almanac  with  the  holidays  of  the 
Episcopal  Church  noted  in  its  calendar,  was  published  by  John 
Tulley  of  Saybrook,  Conn.,  for  the  year  1687  and  afterwards 
until  1702.  It  was  also  the  first  one  that  began  the  year  with 
January  instead  of  March.     It  was  printed  in  Massachusetts, 


IN   AMERICA.  21 

as  there  was  no  printing  press  then  in  Connecticut.  [Albert  C. 
Bates  in  Connecticut  Quarterly,  Vol.  IV,  409.] 

In  1689,  King's  Chapel  was  erected  on  the  site  of  the  present 
edifice  and  was  opened  for  service  June  30. 

During-  the  revolution  against  the  King,  the  Governor  and 
others  were  imprisoned  and  the  Chaplain  was  obliged  to  flee. 
The  chapel  was  mutilated  and  subjected  to  the  grossest  indigni- 
ties. The  Prayer  Book  was  held  up  to  ridicule  in  a  series  of 
pamphlets  and  those  who  continued  its  use  were  denominated 
"Papist  dogs  and  rogues,  idolaters,  and  the  like." 

The  King's  instructions  to  Governors  Andros  of  Massa- 
chusetts and  Dongan  of  New  York  were  that  they  should  "take 
especial  care  that  God  Almighty  be  devoutely  and  duly  served 
throughout  your  Government ;  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer 
.  ,  .  read  each  Sunday  and  Holy  day,  and  the  Blessed 
Sacraments  administered  according  to  the  Rites  of  the  Church 
of  England." 

In  1691,  the  Rev.  James  Blair  of  Virginia  was  sent  to  Eng- 
land for  a  charter  for  William  and  Mary  College  to  be  a  semin- 
ary for  the  education  of  fit  men  for  the  sacred  ministry.  The 
first  commencement  was  held  in  1700. 

Christ  Church,  Philadelphia,  the  first  in  that  place,  was 
erected  in  .1695,  and  the  first  clergyman  to  ofiiciate  in  it  was 
the  Rev.  Richard  Sewall  of  Maryland.  Its  first  Rector  was 
the  Rev.  Thomas  Clayton. 

The  earliest  permanent  Church  in  Rhode  Island  was  Trinity 
Church  of  Newport,  under  the  preaching  of  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Lockyer  and  the  patronage  of  Sir  Francis  Nicholson,  who  has 
been  called  the  founder  of  the  Church  of  Rhode  Island. 

An  act  was  passed  in  South  Carolina  in  1698  "to  settle  a 
maintenance  on  a  Minister  of  the  Church  of  England  in 
Charleston."  Outside  of  Charleston  there  was  but  one  clergy- 
man of  the  Church  in  1700. 

The  Rev.  Dr.  Bray  returned  to  England  in  1701  and  had  the 
honor  of  obtaining  the  charter  of  the  Society  for  the  Propaga- 
tion of  the  Gospel  in  Foreign  Parts.  This  Society  is  referred 
to  in  history  as  the  S.  P.  G. 

The  charter  recites  that  it  is  our  duty  "to  promote  the  Glory 
of   God,   by  the   instruction   of   our   People   in  the   Christian 


22  THE    CHURCH 

religion"  and  to  accomplish  that  end,  arranged  that  "a.  sufficient 
maintenance  be  provided  for  an  Orthodox  Clergy  to  live 
amongst"  the  people  in  those  parts.  At  this  time  South  Caro- 
lina had  7,000  souls  besides  negroes  and  Indians  living  without 
any  minister  of  the  church.  North  Carolina  had  5,000  without 
any  minister.  Virginia  had  40,000  divided  into  40  parishes 
with  about  half  the  number  of  clergymen.  Maryland  had 
only  about  25,000  and  only  about  13  clergymen.  Pennsylvania 
had  20,000  with  only  700  who  attended  church  and  only  250 
communicants.  New  York  had  30,000  with  1,200  church 
attefldants  and  450  communicants.  The  two  Jerseys  had  15,000 
with  600  church  attendants  and  200  communicants.  Connecti- 
cut had  30,800  with  150  church  attendants  and  35  communi- 
cants. In  the  other  New  England  Colonies  there  were  90,000 
with  750  church  attendants  and  150  communicants. 

About  1702,  a  church  was  built  near  Eden,  N.  C,  and 
Dr.  Bray  sent  the  Rev.  Daniel  Brett  there  as  the  first  minister 
of  the  Church  in  that  Province.  In  the  same  year  the  Rev. 
Samuel  Thomas  was  sent  to  South  Carolina  as  the  first  mis- 
sionary there  of  the  S.  P.  G.  The  Rev.  George  Keith,  Rev. 
Patrick  Gordon,  and  Rev.  John  Talbot  arrived  in  Boston,  June 
II,  1702.  The  two  former  were  missionaries  of  the  S.  P.  G., 
and  Talbot  joined  with  them.  Gordon  went  to  Jamaica  and 
organized  the  first  parish  of  Long  Island.  Keith  and  Talbot 
made  a  tour  of  nearly  all  the  colonies.  Talbot  became  Rector  of 
St.  Mary's  Church,  Burlington,  N.  ].,  but  continued  to  work 
in  various  places. 

Prior  to  1700  there  were  but  few  Churchmen  in  New  Jersey. 
The  Rev.  George  Keith  arrived  and  held  his  first  service  of 
the  Church  at  Amboy,  Oct.  4,  1702.  Prior  to  his  coming  the 
Rev.  Alexander  Innes  had  officiated  in  the  Jerseys.  Mr.  Keith 
first  came  to  America  in  1682  and  was  a  Quaker  preacher  at 
Monmouth,  N.  J.  The  line  of  reading  and  argument  which  he 
pursued  with  reference  to  Quakerism  led  him  into  the  Church 
of  England.  In  1694,  he  went  to  England  for  holy  orders, 
which  he  received  in  1700. 

In  1702,  the  Church  in  Maryland  was  established  by  law  and 
the  Book  of  Common  Prayer  was  required  to  be  read  in  all 
the   churches   having   an   income   from   the   Government.      A 


IN  AMERICA.  23 

prior  act  had  required  the  use  of  the  Prayer  Book  in  every  place 
of  public  worship  in  the  Province.  This  was  repealed  for  the 
benefit  of  the  Roman  Catholics  and  Quakers. 

In  1704,  the  Rev.  James  Honeyman  was  appointed  Mission- 
ary of  the  S.  P.  G.  and  sent  to  Newport,  R.  I.  This  was  the 
first  place  in  New  England  that  the  Society  provided  a  minister 
for. 

A  petition  for  a  Bishop  in  America  was  signed  by  fourteen 
clergymen  of  New  York,  New  Jersey  and  Pennsylvania  at  Bur- 
lington, N.  J.,  1705. 

The  second  church  in  Rhode  Island  was  erected  in  the 
Narragansett  country  in  1707,  where  there  had  been  Churchmen 
since  about  1700.  This  church  is  still  standing  (1906),  and  is 
believed  to  be  the  oldest  Episcopal  church  in  the  northern  part 
of  the  United  States. 

In  171 3,  the  ministers,  wardens  and  vestrymen  of  Trinity 
Church,  Newport,  R.  I.,  petitioned  the  Queen  for  the  establish- 
ment of  Bishops  in  America. 

In  171 5,  the  S.  P.  G.  Society  repeated  its  request  for  Bishops 
with  the  proposition  to  establish  four  Sees,  two  in  the  colonies, 
one  of  which  was  to  be  at  Burlington,  N.  J.,  and  the  other  at 
Williamsburg,  Va.  About  the  same  time  bequests  of  £2,000 
became  operative  towards  the  settlement  of  two  Bishops,  one  of 
which  was  for  America. 

It  is  claimed  that  John  Talbot  of  New  Jersey  and  Dr.  Robert 
Welton  of  London  were  consecrated  Bishops  by  the  non-juring 
Bishops  in  England.  Talbot  returned  to  New  Jersey  and  Dr. 
Welton  came  over  and  was  Rector  of  Christ  Church,  Philadel- 
phia, 1724  to  1726.  It  is  certain,  however,  that  they  never 
exercised  Episcopal  jurisdiction. 

A  most  remarkable  event  took  place  at  New  Haven,  Conn., 
in  1722.  Dr.  Samuel  Johnson,  formerly  the  tutor  at  Yale  Col- 
lege and  then  Congregational  pastor  in  West  Haven,  met  other 
ministers  of  the  Standing  Order  and  joined  them  in  the  study 
of  questions  suggested  by  the  Prayer  Book.  The  result  of 
their  studies  appeared  the  day  after  commencement,  in  1722, 
when  seven  ministers  made  a  declaration  that  some  of  them 
doubted  the  validity  of  Presbyterian  ordination.  Messrs. 
Samuel  Johnson,  Daniel  Brown,  the  tutor,  and  Timothy  Cutler, 


24  THE   CHURCH 

the  Rector  of  the  College,  determined  to  seek  holy  orders  at 
the  hands  of  a  Bishop.  They  were  soon  followed  by  Mr.  James 
Wetmore.  These  men  were  promptly  removed  from  their  posi- 
tions and  hotly  abused  by  their  former  companions.  They  were 
called  "  cudweds,"  "  highflyers,"  and  other  names.  On  Oct. 
2,  1722,  the  committee  of  Christ  Church,  Boston,  wrote  to  Dr. 
Cutler,  congratulating  him  and  his  friends  on  account  of  their 
recent  declaration  in  favor  of  the  Church,  and  invited  Dr. 
Cutler  to  settle  in  Boston.  They  also  promised  to  pay  for  the 
passage  of  Messrs.  Cutler,  Johnson  and  Brown  to  England  for 
holy  orders  and  to  provide  for  the  support  of  Mr.  Cutler  while 
there.  They  were  ordained  in  1723  and  Dr.  Cutler  arrived  in 
Boston  to  take  charge  of  Christ  Church,  Sept.  24,  1723.  Dr. 
Johnson  settled  at  Stratford,  Conn.,  and  Mr.  Brown  died  in 
England.  This  Episcopal  accession  from  Yale  College  brings 
to  mind  that  Elihu  Yale  doubted  "  whether  it  was  well  in  him 
being  a  Churchman,  to  promote  an  academy  of  dissenters, "  but 
on  reflection  concluded  "  that  the  business  of  good  is  to  spread 
religion  and  learning  among  mankind,  without  being  too  fondly 
attached  to  particular  tenets." 

One  of  the  foremost  advocates  for  an  Episcopate  was  John 
Checkley  of  Boston.  He  was  in  England  with  Johnson  and 
Cutler  in  1723.  To  counteract  the  baneful  influences  of  infi- 
delity which  he  encountered  he  published,  first  in  1719  and 
second  in  England,  1723,  Leslie's  famous  "  Short  and  Easie 
Methods  with  the  Deists"  together  with  his  "  Discourse  con- 
cerning Episcopacy."  He  urged  that  a  Non-Episcopal  minis- 
try was  "  not  only  invalid,  but  sacrilege  and  rebellion  against 
Christ.  "  His  book  was  denounced  by  the  Puritans  as  a  "  false 
and  scandalous  libel.  "  In  the  lower  court  he  was  adjudged 
guilty  without  a  hearing  and  on  appeal  he  was  fined  ^50,  impris- 
oned and  ordered  to  keep  quiet.  In  1727  he  was  in  England 
for  ordination  but  was  defeated  by  reason  of  letters  from  two 
Congregational  ministers  of  Marblehead,  Mass,  At  last  he 
received  holy  orders  in  1739  at  the  age  of  59  and  was  appointed 
missionary  of  the  S.  P.  G.  at  Providence,  R.  I.,  where  he 
remained  until  his  death  in  1753. 

A  reprint  of  his  book,  together  with  an  account  of  his  trial, 
was  published  at  Windsor,  Vt.,  in  1812. 


IN  AMERICA.  25 

In  1725,  Samuel  Johnson,  Dr.  Cutler,  and  other  clergymen 
of  New  England,  petitioned  the  S.  P.  G.  for  Bishops.  In  1727, 
largely  through  the  efforts  of  Dean  Berkeley,  a  charter  and  a 
grant  for  a  Bishop  in  America  was  obtained,  but  the  king  died 
before  it  was  sealed. 

In  1732,  Queen's  Chapel  at  Portsmouth,  N.  H.,  was  begun. 
The  Rev.  Arthur  Brown  was  its  Rector  from  1736  until  his 
death  in  1773.  Of  the  six  hundred  families  in  Portsmouth,  less 
than  sixt}^  were  Episcopal,  but  all  the  Churchmen  in  New 
Hampshire  were  Mr.  Brown's  parishioners.  In  1767,  his 
church  was  the  only  one  in  the  Province. 

Georgia  was  the  first  and  only  Colony  where  the  Church  was 
founded  wholly  by  charity.  General  James  Oglethorpe 
obtained  a  charter  for  a  colony  and  with  the  first  emigrants 
landed  there  in  1733.  Twenty-one  disinterested  noblemen  and 
gentlemen  constituted  its  trustees  and  over  one  hundred  minis- 
ters received  commissions  to  take  up  collections  in  England  in 
behalf  of  Georgia.  In  December,  1735,  John  and  Charles  Wes- 
ley came  there,  full  of  zeal  for  the  conversion  of  the  Indians. 
Mr.  John  Wesley  was  made  Rector  of  Christ  Church,  Savannah, 
and  here  he  established  the  first  Sunday  School,  nearly  fifty 
years  before  Robert  Raikes  established  them  in  England.  In 
1738,  George  Whitefield,  as  missionary  of  the  S.  P.  G.,  started 
for  Georgia  to  assist  Wesley,  but  they  crossed  each  other  on  the 
way.  Whitefield  arrived  at  Savannah,  May  7,  1738.  It  was 
not  long  before  he  instituted  such  a  series  of  irregularities  as  to 
lose  the  sympathy  of  the  more  pronounced  Churchmen.  In 
1748  the  Rev.  Bartholomew  Zouberbudler,  Rector  of  Christ 
Church,  Savannah,  was  the  only  minister  in  Georgia. 

Those  who  opposed  the  appointment  of  Bishops  in  America 
argued  that  it  would  lead  to  a  separation  of  the  Colonies  from 
England.  A  letter  to  the  Bishop  of  London  from  Dr.  Samuel 
Johnson,  Nov.  3,  1738,  says  there  is  no  "  disposition  towards  an 
independency  on  our  mother  country  from  our  general  desire 
of  Bishops  to  preside  over  us,  the  reverse  of  this  is  the 
truth  .  .  .  we  must  patiently  submit  and  wait  upon  Provi- 
dence till  it  shall  please  God  to  enlighten  the  minds  of  men, 
and  send  us  better  times." 

In  consequence  of  the  unreasonable  opposition  of  the  Anti- 
Episcopal    ministers    to   the    appointment   of    Bishops    in   the 


26  THE    CHURCH 

Colonies,  the  Bishops  in  England,  who  in  1750  advocated  such 
appointment,  took  pains  at  the  outset  to  disarm  all  possible 
hostility  by  having  the  authority  of  Colonial  Bishops  specifi- 
cally limited  to  the  Church  of  England  congregations,  and  that 
no  taxes  be  laid  upon  the  people  for  the  Bishop's  support. 

The  first  missionary  of  the  Church  to  Africa  was  the  Rev. 
Thomas  Thompson,  who  left  New  Jersey  for  Africa  in  175 1. 

Funds  were  raised  for  King's  College  of  New  York,  (now 
Columbia  College,)  in  1746  to  175 1.  In  the  latter  year  these 
funds  were  vested  in  ten  trustees,  one  Presbyterian,  two  Dutch 
Reformed,  and  seven  Episcopalians.  In  1753  Dr.  Samuel  John- 
son of  Stratford  was  elected  its  first  President.  On  July  17, 
1754  he  opened  the  College  with  a  class  of  eight  in  a  vestry 
room  belonging  to  Trinity  Church,  New  York. 

In  1755,  all  of  the  students  of  Yale  College  were  compelled 
to  worship  at  the  College  Chapel,  so  that  Episcopal  students 
could  not  attend  Trinity  Church  on  Sunday.  The  two  sons  of 
Missionary  Punderson  were  forced  to  comply  with  this  rule. 
Scholars  were  fined  for  attending  Church  of  England  service, 
communicants  only  being  excepted  and  that  only  on  Christmas 
and  Sacrament  days. 

On  April  2,  1756,  the  College  of  William  and  Mary  con- 
ferred the  degree  of  Master  of  Arts  upon  Benjamin  Franklin. 
This  was  the  first  honorary  degree  ever  given  by  the  College. 

The  passage  of  the  stamp  act  was  taken  advantage  of  about 
1764  and  5  to  raise  a  fresh  clamor  against  an  Episcopate  in 
America. 

About  the  last  effort  of  the  Episcopalians  before  the  Revolu- 
tionary war  to  secure  a  Bishop  for  America  was  on  May  21, 
1766,  when  14  clergymen  met  in  voluntary  convention  at  New 
York.  They  were  from  New  York,  New  Jersey,  and  Connecti- 
cut. Samuel  Seabury  of  Westchester,  N.  Y.,  was  Clerk.  They 
wrote  a  letter  to  the  Secretary  of  the  S.  P.  G.  referring  to  the 
loss  of  Wilson  and  Giles,  saying — "  This  loss  brings  to  our 
minds  an  exact  calculation  made  not  many  years  ago,  that  not 
less  than  one  out  of  five  who  have  gone  for  Holy  Orders  from 
the  Northern  Colonies  have  perished  in  the  attempt,  ten  have 
miscarried  out  of  fifty-one.  This  we  consider  an  incontestable 
argument  for  the  necessity  of  the  American  Bishops."     About 


IN   AMERICA.  27 

this  time,  the  Episcopate  was  largely  discussed  in  the  news- 
papers, in  pamphlets,  and  in  sermons,  both  by  Episcopalians 
and  their  opponents.  In  the  same  month  that  this  Episcopal 
Convention  was  held,  the  Presbyterian  "  Synod  of  New  York 
and  Philadelphia  "  at  their  annual  meeting,  originated  a  plan 
of  concerted  action  to  prevent  the  establishment  of  an  Episco- 
pate. The  "  General  Association  of  Connecticut,"  (Congrega- 
tionalist,)  at  their  June  meeting  at  Guilford,  1766,  received  an 
invitation  to  join  the  Presbyterian  Synod  of  New  York  and 
Philadelphia,  in  convention  for  "  Consultation  about  such  things 
as  may  have  a  hopeful  tendency  to  promote  and  defend  the 
Common  Cause  of  Religion  against  the  attacks  of  its  various 
Enemies."  The  invitation  was  accepted  and  delegates  appointed. 
Accordingly  a  convention  was  held  at  Elizabeth,  N.  J.,  begin- 
ning Nov.  5,  1766,  and  their  organization  perfected.  Twenty 
members  were  present  from  the  Synod  and  eight  from  Connecti- 
cut. They  provided  for  a  general  convention  of  the  pastors  of 
the  Congregational,  Consociated  and  Presbyterian  Churches  in 
North  America,  consisting  of  delegates  chosen  by  their  re- 
spective bodies,  to  be  held  annually,  and  agreed  that  the  next 
convention  should  be  held  at  New  Haven,  Sept.  10,  1767.  The 
general  design  of  the  convention  was  to  gain  information  and 
unite  in  "  spreading  the  Gospel,  and  defending  the  religious 
liberties  of  our  Churches,  keep  up  a  correspondence  throughout 
this  united  body  and  with  our  friends  abroad  "  and  to  "  culti- 
vate and  preserve  loyalty  "  to  the  king.  It  was  also  agreed 
that  letters  be  sent  to  the  Rev.  Ministers  of  the  Congregational 
and  Presybterian  Churches  of  Massachusetts,  New  Hampshire, 
and  Rhode  Island,  and  the  Dutch  Reformed  Churches  of  New 
York,  New  Jersey  and  Pennsylvania,  "  informing  them  what 
we  have  done  at  this  General  Convention  and  invite  them  to 
send  delegates  to  New  Haven."  Appended  to  the  minutes  of 
this  meeting  is  a  supposed  letter  from  a  gentleman  in  the 
Colonies  to  his  foreign  correspondent,  setting  forth  at  length 
what  a  terrible  calamity  it  would  be  to  have  a  Bishop  in 
America  and  his  great  anxiety  on  that  account.  Also  a  letter 
from  Mr.  Francis  Alison  to  Mr.  Sproat,  setting  forth  his 
reasons  for  being  persuaded  that  there  was  a  determination  or 
fixed  resolution  in  England  to  send  Bishops  to  America. 


28  THE    CHURCH 

This  was  probably  the  first  General  Convention  of  any- 
religious  body  ever  held  in  America  and  it  met  annually  for  ten 
successive  years.  The  only  enemies  of  religion  referred  to  in 
their  proceedings  were  Episcopalians,  and  from  beginning  to 
end  the  only  business  before  the  Convention  was  for  the  pur- 
pose of  preventing  a  Bishop,  or  Bishops,  being  established  in 
this  country.  The  invitations  to  attend  were  broad  and 
included  every  religious  body  in  the  whole  country  who  either 
feared  or  hated  an  Episcopal  Bishop.  In  short,  it  was  a  great 
uprising  of  all  who  were  opposed  to  an  Episcopate  and  it  may 
be  properly  designated  as  the  Anti-Episcopal  Convention. 

Its  Journal  was  printed  by  E.  Gleason,  Hartford,  Conn.,  1843, 
under  the  direction  of  a  committee  of  the  General  Association 
of  Connecticut,  and  entitled  "  Minutes  of  the  Convention  of 
Delegates  from  the  Synod  of  New  York  and  Philadelphia  and 
from  the  Associations  of  Connecticut  held  annually  from  1766 
to  1775,  inclusive." 

Their  ten  Conventions  were  held  in  September,  October  or 
November,  as  follows: — 1766,  '68,  '70,  '72  and  '74  at  Elizabeth- 
town,  N.  J. ;  1767  and  '69,  New  Haven,  Conn. ;  1771,  Norwalk, 
Conn.;  1773,  Stamford,  Conn.;  1775,  Greenfield,  Conn. 
Massachusetts,  Rhode  Island  and  New  Hampshire  were  repre- 
sented at  their  second  Convention  and  several  other  colonies 
were  represented  later.  "Committees  were  appointed  to  carry 
on  a  correspondence  with  "  our  friends,"  (Dissenters,)  in  Eng- 
land and  the  pastors  of  the  various  colonies.  Long  letters  to 
and  from  the  committee  of  Dissenters  in  London  were  before 
the  Convention  nearly  every  year.  Correspondence  was  also 
extended  to  Scotland  and  Ireland,  and  throughout  the  Ameri- 
can Colonies.  They  wrote  to  Maryland,  Virginia,  Georgia  and 
the  Carolinas  for  "  all  instances  of  Episcopal  oppression  they 
can  find  in  said  colonies,"  to  the  Eastern  Colonies  for 
"  instances  of  the  lenity  of  their  government  with  regard  to 
Episcopal  Dissenters  therein."  Committees  were  appointed  for 
the  various  colonies,  including  Nova  Scotia,  Canada  and  West 
Florida,  to  examine  their  laws  and  charters  relating  to  ecclesi- 
astical afifairs,  with  reference  to  the  religious  liberties  of  any 
denomination,   and  particularly   "  to  ascertain  the  number  of 


IN   AMERICA.  29 

inhabitants  in  each  of  the  Colonies  with  the  proportion  of  the 
Episcopalians  to  the  Non-Episcopalians." 

Reports  on  these  matters  were  received  from  New  York, 
Connecticut,  Massachusetts,  Virginia,  North  Carolina,  South 
Carolina,  New  Jersey,  Pennsylvania,  Rhode  Island,  Maryland, 
Georgia,  Nova  Scotia  and  Barbadoes. 

Their  letter  to  the  Dissenters  of  London  in  1773  stated  that 
the  "  Episcopalians  in  the  colony  of  New  York  bear  the  pro- 
portion of  about  one  to  twenty  of  its  present  population,  Con- 
necticut a  greater  proportion.  In  New  Jersey  and  Pennsyl- 
vania their  proportionate  numbers  are  less."  In  Massachusetts, 
Rhode  Island  and  New  Hampshire,  "  they  are  much  less  still." 
In  the  Southern  Colonies,  Maryland,  Virginia,  North  Carolina, 
South  Carolina  and  Georgia,  "  the  Non-Episcopalians  are  in 
some  of  them  a  majority,  and  in  the  rest  a  large  and  growing 
proportion." 

The  report  of  the  Rev.  Elizur  Goodrich  of  Durham,  Conn., 
as  to  Connecticut,  is  the  only  one  preserved  and  is  printed  in 
full  in  the  appendix.  It  makes  the  Episcopalians  of  Connecti- 
cut in  1774  number  about  one  to  thirteen  of  the  whole  number 
of  inhabitants. 

The  object  of  this  census  was  to  belittle  the  Episcopalians 
and  show  "  the  vast  superiority  in  numbers  of  the  Non-Epis- 
copalians," in  the  hopes  that  if  such  facts  were  known  in  Eng- 
land the  chances  for  an  American  Bishop  would  be  lessened. 
The  numerous  letters  to  and  from  their  friends  in  England  show 
how  alarmed  they  were  ''  from  the  restlessness  of  the  mission- 
aries and  their  bigoted  adherents,"  and  although  the  Episco- 
palians were  apparently  quiet,  they  said,  "  We  have  reason  to 
believe  that  the  bigoted  Episcopalians  on  this  side  of  the  water 
have  by  no  means  dropt  the  project,  but  will  ever  be  restless  in 
their  attempts  to  accomplish  their  purpose."  One  letter  says 
Dr.  S.  (Episcopal)  "told  me  that  they  would  have  Bishops 
settled  in  America  in  spite  of  all  the  Presbyterian  opposition, 
and  added  that  the  Quakers  and  Baptists  would  join  them 
against  us."  The  Convention  admitted  repeatedly  that  they 
would  not  oppose  Bishops  "provided  other  denominations  could 
be  safe  from  their  severit}^  and  encroachments,  but  this  we  think 


3©  THE    CHURCH 

impossible,"  and  because  they  thought  this  impossible  they 
determined  to  oppose  the  Episcopate  with  all  their  might. 

They  refer  to  our  forefathers  as  having  "  seen  and  felt  the 
tyranny  of  Bishops'  courts,"  and  added :  "  Such  tyranny  if 
now  exercised  in  America  would  either  drive  us  to  seek  new 
habitations  among  the  heathen  ...  or  excite  riots,  rebel- 
lion and  wild  disorder.  We  dread  the  consequences  as  oft  as 
we  think  of  this  danger."  "  We  can  not  but  tremble  at  the 
prospect  of  the  dreadful  consequences  that  could  not  be  pre- 
vented from  taking  place  upon  the  establishment  of  an  Ameri- 
can Episcopate,"  and  all  this,  they  say,  "  without  doing  any  real 
service  to  religion  or  to  the  Episcopal  Church." 

Again,  they  complain  of  the  S.  P.  G.  for  granting  consider- 
able salaries  to  "  missionaries  in  the  most  populous  parts  of  our 
colonies  even  where  there  are  faithful  ministers  of  other 
denominations  settled,  and  but  few  families  of  their  religious 
persuasion."  We  may  here  state  that  there  is  not  a  single 
instance  in  which  this  Society  ever  appointed  a  missionary 
to  any  parish  in  America  until  the  parish  asked  them  to  do  so. 

One  letter  to  the  committee  of  Dissenters  in  London  says : — 
"The  peculiar  care  of  the  Episcopalians  among  ourselves,  where 
they  have  influence,  to  fill  all  places  of  power  and  trust  in  our 
various  governments  with  those  of  their  own  denomination 
.  .  .  seems  calculated  to  promote  their  grand  design  .  .  , 
These  considerations  make  it  evident  to  us  that  their  views  are 
not  so  much  to  promote  Christianity  as  the  establishment  of 
Episcopal  Church  government  in  the  colonies,  and  therefore 
engage  our  constant  watchfulness  lest  they  should  take  the 
advantage  of  our  being  off  our  guard  to  accomplish  a  design, 
which  however  pleasing  to  them,  will  be  attended  with  the  most 
lamentable  consequences  to  the  interest  of  true  religion  and 
liberty  among  us." 

The  number  of  those  who  belonged  to  the  Church  in  America 
was  never  so  large  as  some  supposed.  At  the  beginning  of  the 
war  there  were  only  about  80  clergymen  to  the  north  and  east 
of  Maryland.  These,  except  in  Boston,  Newport  and  Phila- 
delphia, were  mainly  supported  by  the  S.  P.  G.  There  were  not 
more  than  six  in  Pennsylvania  outside  of  Philadelphia.  In 
Maryland  and  Virginia  the   Church   was   supported  by  legal 


IN   AMERICA.  31 

establishment.  There  were  more  Churchmen  in  the  other 
Southern  Colonies  than  in  the  north,  but  not  so  many  as  in 
Viro^inia  and  Maryland. 

All  efforts  on  the  part  of  the  Episcopalians  for  a  Bishop 
practically  ceased  in  1776.  The  Episcopalians  were  closer  to 
the  king  than  any  other  people  in  America,  and  as  hatred  to  the 
king  increased  with  the  excitement  and  hardships  of  the  Revolu- 
tion, the  Episcopalians  were  despised,  hated,  persecuted  with 
greater  zeal,  and  finally  almost  silenced. 

In  1782,  the  Rev.  Dr.  White,  (afterwards  Bishop,)  believing 
that  the  war  would  be  indefinitely  protracted,  published  a 
pamphlet  advocating  the  adoption  by  the  Episcopalians  of  a 
Presbyterian  form  of  government. 

In  March,  1783,  ten  of  the  fourteen  clergymen  of  Connecti- 
cut met  at  Woodbury  and  decided  to  reply  to  Dr.  White's 
pamphlet  and  to  elect  a  Bishop.  The  Rev.  Jeremiah  Leaming 
was  their  first  choice,  but  on  account  of  his  infirmities,  they 
elected  Dr.  Samuel  Seabury,  who  went  to  England  for  consecra- 
tion, arriving  in  London,  July  7,  1783. 

On  Aug.  13,  1783,  the  Churchmen  of  Maryland  met  in  con- 
vention at  Annapolis  and  adopted  a  document  concerning 
fundamental  rights  and  liberties  "  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal 
Church."  This  is  claimed  by  some  to  have  been  the  first  use 
of  the  name  Protestant  Episcopal,  but  Bishop  Perry's  History 
says  that  a  convention  met  at  Chestertown,  Md.,  Nov.  9,  1780, 
and  voted  that  the  "  Church  known  in  the  province  as  'Protest- 
ant' be  called  'the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church'." 

The  first  step  towards  forming  a  collective  body  of  the 
Episcopal  Church  was  at  New  Brunswick,  N.  J.,  in  May,  1784, 
by  clergymen  from  New  York,  New  Jersey  and  Pennsylvania, 
who  arranged  for  a  larger  meeting  at  New  York  in  October  of 
that  year. 

The  Rev.  Samuel  Seabury,  by  reason  of  the  "  Erastian 
notiohs  which  prevailed  in  the  Church,  the  machinations  of 
English  politicians,  and  the  arguments  of  influential  Congrega- 
tionalists  in  Connecticut,"  failed  of  consecration  in  England 
and  consequently  turned  to  Scotland,  where  he  was  consecrated 
Bishop,  at  Aberdeen,  Nov.  14,  1784.  On  Aug.  2,  1785,  Bishop 
Seabury  met  his  clergy  at  Middletown,  Conn.,  and  four  persons 


32  THE    CHURCH 

were  made  deacons.  This  was  the  first  ordination  in  America. 
Three  days  later  a  committee  was  appointed  to  act  with  the 
Bishop  in  proposing  necessary  changes  in  the  Prayer  Book. 
The  New  York  Convention  of  October,  1784  had  agreed  to 
"  adhere  to  the  Hturgy  of  the  .  .  .  Church  as  far  as  shall 
be  consistent  with  the  American  Revolution.'' 

The  first  General  Convention  of  the  Church  in  America  met 
at  Christ  Church,  Philadelphia,  Sept.  27,  1785,  and  consisted  of 
clergy  and  lay  representatives  from  seven  states.  Bishop  Sea- 
bury  and  his  clergy  declined  to  attend  this  Convention.  Many 
radical  changes  in  the  Prayer  Book  were  proposed.  The  book 
was  published  in  1786,  and  was  known  as  the  "  Proposed  Book," 
because  the  changes  made  therein  had  never  been  formally 
adopted.  The  Scottish  Bishops  who  consecrated  Bishop  Sea- 
bury  desired  that  he  should  use  the  Scotch  Communion  Office 
as  far  as  practicable,  and  accordingly  he  prepared  such  Office, 
which  was  printed  at  New  London  in  1786  and  distributed  for 
general  use. 

The  first  consecration  of  a  church  in  America  was  at  Nor- 
walk.  Conn.,  July,  1786. 

On  Sunday,  Feb.  4,  1787,  the  Rev.  William  White,  Bishop- 
elect  of  Pennsylvania,  and  Rev.  Samuel  Provoost,  Bishop-elect 
of  New  York,  were  consecrated  at  London.  A  special  act  of 
Parliament  had  to  be  passed  before  this  could  take  place,  and 
this  act  was  limited  to  the  establishment  of  a  College  of  Bishops 
for  America.  A  union  of  the  Dioceses  was  effected  at  the  Gen- 
eral Convention  held  July  to  October,  1789,  at  Christ  Church, 
Philadelphia,  when  the  Constitution  of  the  Church  was  adopted 
and  the  Prayer  Book  revised,  thus  perfecting  the  organization 
of  the  Church  in  America.  The  first  House  of  Bishops  con- 
sisted of  Bishops  White  and  Seabury,  and  nothing  was  admitted 
into  the  Prayer  Book  that  was  not  approved  by  both.  The  new 
Book  went  into  use  Oct.  i,  1790.  Methodism  was  first  intro- 
duced in  America  at  New  York  in  1766.  This  child  of  the 
Church  continued  to  use  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer  until 
about  1790. 

The  Rev.  James  Madison,  D.D.,  was  elected  Bishop  of  Vir- 
ginia and  consecrated  at  Lambeth  Palace  Chapel,  Sept.  17, 
1790.     Of  the  Church  in  America  in  1790,  there  were  7  Dio- 


IN    AMERICA.  33 

ceses  and  190  clergy ;  in  1904,  62  Dioceses,  23  Missionary 
Jurisdictions  with  91   Bishops  and  5,058  clergy. 

In  the  year  1790  thirty  Congregational  families  at  Clare- 
mont,  N.  H.,  joined  the  Episcopal  Church  in  a  body. 

The  first  consecration  of  a  Bishop  in  America  was  at  New 
York,  Sept.  17,  1792,  when  Thomas  John  Claggett,  D.D.,  was 
consecrated  as  Bishop  of  Maryland. 

In  1794,  the  Rev.  Samuel  Peters,  D.D.,  formerly  of  Con- 
necticut, but  then  residing  in  England,  was  elected  Bishop  of 
Vermont  and  attempted  to  receive  consecration  in  England. 
This  was  denied  him  for  various  reasons,  some  of  which  were 
that  it  was  contrary  to  the  act  of  Parliament  of  1786,  and  that  it 
would  be  disrespectful  to  the  American  Bishops. 

Shortly  after  the  Revolution,  King's  Chapel  in  Boston  had 
been  appropriated  by  the  Unitarians,  so  that  in  the  year  1797 
there  were  only  two  Episcopal  parishes  in  Boston,  Trinity 
and  Christ  Churches. 

The  first  Almanac  designed  especially  for  Churchmen  was 
published  in  1816,  by  T.  &  J.  Swords,  New  York  City.  It 
contained  a  list  of  all  the  clergy  in  the  United  States  together 
with  the  Dioceses,  parishes  and  various  organizations.  It  has 
been  continued  by  the  Swords  and  their  successor,  Mr. 
Thomas  Whittaker  of  New  York,  up  to  the  present  time. 

In  the  strongholds  of  the  Congregationalists,  Massachusetts 
and  Connecticut,  Episcopalians  and  others  after  a  while  were 
"  tolerated  "  by  law,  and  Connecticut  recognized  them  as  "  sober 
dissenters  "  in  1708,  but  it  was  not  until  1818  that  all  religious 
denominations  were  placed  on  precisely  the  same  footing  in 
Connecticut,  and  it  was  not  until  1830  that  Congregationalism 
ceased  to  be  the  established  religion  in  Massachusetts. 

Authorities  :  Bishop  Perry's  History  of  the  American  Episco- 
pal Church ;  Bishop  Coleman's  History  of  the  Church  in 
America ;  The  Church  Cyclopedia ;  Dr.  Beardsley's  Life  of 
Samuel  Johnson ;  Documentary  History  of  the  Church  in  Ver- 
mont;  Journal  of  the  Anti-Episcopal  Convention.  1766-75; 
Records  of  Convocation,  Diocese  of  Connecticut ;  Wilberforce's 
P.  E.  C.  in  America ;   History  of  the  S.  P.  G.  Society. 


II.    THE    CHURCH    IN    CONNECTICUT 


»t.» 


.'/.>^- 


iT.'. 


-'y'  hliTi^-Uf^'^    ■^'^^^  ^^f'^'^''^9    ''"'Y' 


c-it  oc  <£/r  ^  v'^  C£J 


-    '  '        •  '  ■  i 

rc^^^oc-/^^-    ■"      -     ■       -  ■'  ^^^  ^^v^^  .^//^ 

'">  ■  /'      , 

/'  /*•  ^ 


CERTIFICATE    BY    BISHOP    SEABURY. 


THE  CHURCH   IN   CONNECTICUT 


HISTORY 

The  early  towns  or  plantations  in  Connecticut  were  first 
settled  as  religious  societies.  These  societies  each  brought  with 
them  their  minster,  and  the  ministers  and  people,  who  had  been 
educated  and  trained  in  the  Episcopal  Church,  were  dissenters. 
It  was  only  in  matters  of  worship  and  Church  government  that 
they  dissented.  In  all  the  cardinal  doctrines  of  religion  their 
beliefs  were  the  same.  Even  as  late  as  1774,  the  Rev.  Elizur 
Goodrich  of  Durham,  a  prominent  Congregationalist,  declared 
that  the  principles  and  faith  of  the  Congregationalists  was  in 
general  the  same  as  that  contained  in  the  doctrinal  articles  of 
the  Church  of  England.  But  in  matters  on  which  the  Puritans 
dissented,  they  were  very  emphatic  and  radical.  To  worship  in 
their  own  way  and  manage  their  Church  afifairs  without  refer- 
ence to  any  one  else,  was  the  main  object  of  their  coming  to 
America.  In  this  way,  the  people  of  the  several  towns  were 
practically  all  of  one  mind,  both  as  to  their  civil  and  religious 
government.  While  the  Church  was,  in  a  sense,  separate  from 
the  town,  the  distinction  was  not  clear,  and  there  was  practically 
no  distinction  between  the  town  and  the  ecclesiastical  society, 
all  matters  relating  to  the  society  being  voted  upon  in  town 
meeting  until  about  1657.  Until  1669,  there  was  precisely  the 
same  number  of  ecclesiastical  societies  in  the  Colony  as  there 
were  towns  or  plantations.  Every  town  before  1658  was,  for 
anything  in  the  laws  of  the  Colony,  free  to  establish  worship 
according  to  the  practices  of  any  denomination,  (excepting  such 
as  were  considered  notorious  heretics),  but  no  one  expected  to 
follow  any  other  than  the  "  Congregational  way."  Laws  for 
the  support  of  ministers  were  passed  in  1644;  compulsory 
attendance  on  "  Gospel  service  "  and  respect  for  the  ministers 
was  enacted  in  1650.     No  exceptions  were  made,  so  that  every 


38  THE    CHURCH 

one  had  to  attend  service,  and  all  males  over  16  years  of  age, 
whether  saints  or  sinners,  had  to  pay  their  due  proportion  for 
supporting  the  minister.  When  part  of  the  people  were  dis- 
satisfied with  the  Gospel  Service,  and  their  number  was  large 
enough,  they  banded  together,  went  to  some  new  field  and 
established  a  new  plantation  and  ecclesiastical  society  by  them- 
selves. 

In  1657,  for  local  causes  not  necessary  to  mention,  a  party 
led  by  Elder  Goodwin  attempted  to  withdraw  from  the  Church 
at  Hartford  and  start  a  second  Congregational  Church  and 
society  in  that  town.  The  Legislature  was  equal  to  the  occa- 
sion and  all  persons  were  prohibited  from  embodying  them- 
selves "  into  Church  estate  without  consent  of  the  General  Court 
and  approbation  of  the  neighboring  Churches."  After  this  date 
new  ecclesiastical  societies  applied  to  the  General  Court  for 
permission  to  organize.  But,  for  the  particular  benefit  of  the 
Hartford  seceders,  the  General  Court  further  enacted  a  law 
forbidding  the  people  from  attending  any  ministry  or  Church 
administration  "  distinct  and  separate  from  and  in  opposition  to 
that  which  is  dispensed  by  the  settled  and  approved  minister  of 
the  place."  This  resulted  in  the  removal  of  the  seceders  to 
Hadley,  Mass.  In  1656  severe  laws  were  passed  against 
"  Quakers,  Ranters,  Adamites,  or  such  like  notorious  Heri- 
tiques,"  and  this  is  the  first  mention  by  name  in  the  statutes  of 
any  religious  sect  or  denomination.  There  were  no  such  sec- 
taries then  in  Connecticut,  but  Quakers  had  arrived  in  Boston 
and  this  law  was  passed  at  the  recommendation  of  the  Commis- 
sioners for  the  United  Colonies. 

The  first  record  of  the  name  of  any  denomination  not  con- 
sidered heretical  is  dated  October,  1664,  when  William  Pitkin, 
John  Steadman  and  Robert  Reeve,  of  Hartford,  Michael 
Humphreys,  James  Enno,  John  Moses,  and  Jonas  Westover, 
of  Windsor,  presented  a  memorial  to  the  General  Assembly 
stating  that  they  were  members  of  "  the  Church  of  England  " ; 
that  they  were  not  given  the  Communion,  and  that  their  chil- 
dren were  not  baptized ;  and  praying  that  "  no  law  shall  make  us 
pay  or  contribute  for  the  maintenance  of  any  minister  or  officer 
in  the  Church  that  will  neglect  or  refuse  to  baptize  our  children 
and  to  take  care  of  us  as  members  of  the  Church."     [Ecclesi- 


IN    CONNECTICUT.  39 

astical  manuscripts,  Vol.  i,  Doc.  lo,  b.]  Whether  these  men 
were  in  fact  Episcopalians  or  not  depends  upon  when  they  were 
members  of  the  Church  of  England,  for  that  Church  was 
legally  Presbyterian  from  1645  to  1660.  Whatever  they 
desired,  it  is  clear  that  they  did  not  expect  nor  ask  for  the 
establishment  of  worship  in  accordance  with  the  usages  of  the 
Episcopal  Church.  The  Court  recommended  the  ministers  and 
Churches  to  entertain  persons  "  who  are  of  an  honest  and  godly 
conversation  "  by  an  "  explicit  covenant  and  that  they  have  their 
children  baptized."  Stiles'  "Windsor,"  Vol.  i,  p.  196,  says 
that  a  copy  of  this  recommendation  or  act  was  sent  to  every 
minister  in  the  Colony.  This  was  the  beginning  of  the  legal 
establishment  of  the  so-called  half-way  covenant  which  cul- 
minated in  legalizing  the  Saybrook  Platform,  in  1708.  The 
standard  of  morals  and  religion  that  would  entitle  one  to  have 
his  children  baptized  is  not  stated  in  the  act  of  1664,  but  pre- 
suming the  law  to  have  been  applicable  to  the  memorialists,  we 
may  say  that  the  General  Court  acknowledged  members  of  the 
"  Church  of  England  "  to  be  persons  "  of  an  honest  and  godly 
conversation." 

Two  years  later,  (Nov.  22,  1666,)  this  same  William  Pitkin 
and  John  Steadman  with  four  others,  viz.,  Joseph  Fitch, 
Nicholas  Olmstead,  Jno.  Gilbert  and  Edward  Grannis,  called  on 
Mr.  Whiting,  (minister  of  the  First  Church  of  Hartford,)  and 
requested  full  privileges  "  in  all  the  ordinances  of  Christ,"  on 
account  "  of  a  union  they  had  already,"  referring  to  their 
Church  membership  in  England.  Mr.  Whiting  knew  of  no 
such  union  but  agreed  to  consider  the  matter.  [Walker's 
History  First  Church,  p.  200.]  The  first  mention  by  name  in 
the  laws  of  the  Colony  of  any  orthodox  denomination  is  in  the 
act  of  May,  1669,  whereby  the  "  Congregational "  Churches 
(profession  and  practice)  were  approved,  and  others  "  ortliodox 
and  sound  in  the  fundamentals  of  Christian  religion,  may  have 
allowance  of  their  perswasion  and  profession  in  church  ways  or 
assemblies  without  disturbance."  This  in  effect  prevented  the 
law  of  1657  from  being  applied  to  any  ministry  or  Church 
administration  other  than  Congregationalists. 

Such  application  of  the  law  was  also  prevented  by  the  law  of 
1665,  which  gave  all  persons  full  and  free  liberty  to  worship 


40  THE    CHURCH 

God  in  the  way  they  think  best,  provided  they  make  no  disturb- 
ance of  the  pubHc  or  minister's  support.  Thus  the  way  was 
open  for  all  denominations  to  organize  new  societies,  subject 
to  the  approval  of  the  General  Court.  In  October,  1669,  the 
Second  Church  at  Hartford  was  legally  established  and  given 
permission  to  "  practice  the  Congregational  way  without  dis- 
turbance." This  is  the  first  instance  in  Connecticut  of  two 
ecclesiastical  societies  in  one  town.  For  more  than  ten  years 
the  "  half-way  covenant "  had  been  agitated,  so  that  there  were 
two  kinds  of  Congregationalists  then  in  the  Colony,  the  old  and 
straight  kind  that  would  baptize  the  children  of  none  but  those 
who  were  "  fit  for  the  Lord's  Supper,"  and  the  new  and  large 
kind  that  would  baptize  the  children  of  those  who  were  "  not 
yet  fit  for  the  Lord's  Supper,"  provided  they  were  persons  "  of 
an  honest  and  godly  conversation,"  or,  according  to  the  General 
Assembly  of  1664,  provided  they  had  as  much  religion  as  mem- 
bers of  the  Church  of  England  were  supposed  to  have.  The 
Second  Church  of  Hartford  was  the  first  in  the  Colony  that 
made  a  special  issue  of  straight  Congregationalism  in  its  forma- 
tion, but  notwithstanding  this  fact,  it  was  overcome  by  the 
raging  tide  that  swept  over  nearly  all  the  Congregational 
Churches  in  the  Colony,  and  it  began  immediately  to  practice  the 
half-way  covenant. 

By  request.  Gov.  Leete  reported  to  the  English  Commis- 
sioners for  Trade  and  Foreign  Plantations  on  July  15,  1680, 
that  "  in  our  corporation  are  26  towns  and  there  is  one  and 
twenty  churches  in  them.  In  one  of  them,  (Hartford,)  we 
have  two  churches.  Our  people  are  some  strict  Congrega- 
tional men,  others  more  large  Congregational  men,  and  some 
moderate  Presbyterians ;  and,  take  the  Congregational  men  of 
both  sorts,  they  are  the  greatest  part  of  the  people." 

"  There  are  4  or  5  Seven  day  men  and  about  so  many  more 
Quakers." 

These  Seven-day  men  and  Quakers  were  probably  the 
Rogerenes  of  New  London,  founded  about  1675.  They  were 
variously  called  Quakers  and  Baptists,  and  no  other  Seven-day 
men  or  Quakers  are  known  to  have  been  in  the  Colony  at  that 
date.  The  Rogerenes  were  the  first  disturbing  sect  within  our 
borders.     The   Presbyterians   and   Congregationalists   were   so 


IN    CONNECTICUT.  41 

nearly  alike  as  to  be  considered  practically  the  same,  and  appar- 
ently there  was  no  trouble  as  to  taxes,  with  the  sinners  who  may 
have  resided  in  the  Colony.  The  first  general  complaint  against 
compulsory  minister's  support  came  from  the  Rogerenes,  in  the 
memorial  of  Richard  Steere  et  al.  of  New  London,  to  the  Gen- 
eral Assembly,  dated  Jan.  i6,  1694-5.  It  was  a  tirade  against 
the  Colonial  Government,  based  largely  on  alleged  violations 
of  the  English  act  of  toleration.     We  quote  the  following: 

"For  do  not  the  Presbyterian  party  here  being  most  numerous 
and  powerful  forcably  seize  by  Distress  the  estates  of  some  and 
threaten  to  do  the  like  by  others  of  their  fellow  dissenters,  viz.. 
Baptist  and  Quaker,  for  the  building  of  a  Presbyterian  meeting 
house  and  for  the  maintainence  of  a  Presybterian  minister. 
Nor  are  such  who  are  of  the  Church  of  England  Communion 
like  to  fare  any  better,  though  the  same  is  contrary  to  nature, 
reason  and  the  laws  of  the  realm  of  England." 

Their  expression  of  contempt  for  the  civil  authority  seems 
to  have  been  the  main  object  of  this  memorial,  rather  than  relief 
from  taxes,  and  Steere  was  promptly  called  to  answer  for  his 
contempt.  The  reference  to  "the  Church  of  England  Com- 
munion "  in  this  memorial  was  probably  for  effect,  as  no 
Churchmen  were  known  to  have  been  in  the  vicinity  of  New 
London  at  that  date.  There  were,  however,  about  ten  or  fifteen 
families  then  at  Stratford,  "  who  had  been  born  and  bred  in 
England  "  and  were  already  Episcopalians.  From  them  came 
the  first  expression  in  this  Colony  of  a  desire  for  the  services 
of  the  Church.  Some  of  them  were  in  Stratford  about  1675, 
but  it  was  not  until  1702,  after  the  Society  for  the  Propagation 
of  the  Gospel  in  Foreign  Parts  had  been  organized,  that  they 
petitioned  for  a  missionary. 

The  first  preaching  in  Connecticut  by  Episcopal  ministers 
was  Sept.  13,  1702,  when  the  Rev.  John  Talbot,  missionary  of 
the  S.  P.  G.,  preached  at  New  London  in  the  Congregational 
Church  in  the  forenoon,  and  the  Rev.  George  Keith,  his  com- 
panion, in  the  afternoon.  They  were  invited  to  preach  there 
by  the  minister.  Rev.  Gurdon  Saltonstall,  who  entertained  them 
at  his  house.  After  the  morning  service  they  were  invited  to 
dinner  by  Governor  Winthrop,  who  also  entertained  them  at 


42  THE    CHURCH 

his  house  "  then  and  the  next  day."  This  was  the  only  stop  in 
1702  of  these  missionaries  in  Connecticut. 

On  Oct.  26,  1704,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Vesey  of  Trinity  Church, 
New  York,  wrote  to  the  Secretary  of  the  S.  P.  G.  that  "  Mr. 
George  Muirson,  a  sober,  ingenious  youth  designs,  God  wilHng 
to  receive  Holy  Orders  and  is  recommended  by  my  Ld.  Corn- 
bury  &  the  Reve'rd.  Clergy  convened  at  New  York."  Some- 
time in  1705,  the  Churchmen  of  Stratford,  Conn.,  applied  to 
Mr.  Vesey  for  services  at  Stratford.  Mr.  Muirson  was  sta- 
tioned as  missionary  at  Rye,  N.  Y.,  before  Nov.  21,  1705,  on 
which  day  he  wrote  that  he  had  "  lately  been  in  ye  Government 
of  Connecticut  where  I  observe  some  people  well  affected  to  ye 
Church."  The  people  of  Connecticut  were  then  attending 
services  at  Rye  on  Sundays. 

On  Sept.  2,  1706,  Missionary  Muirson  came  in  company  with 
Col.  Caleb  Heathcote  to  Stratford,  and  Mr.  Muirson  preached 
both  forenoon  and  afternoon  to  a  numerous  congregation  and 
baptized  about  twenty-four  persons.  Inasmuch  as  Keith's 
Journal  makes  no  mention  of  services  at  New  London  in  1702, 
other  than  preaching,  this  service  at  Stratford  is  supposed  to 
have  been  the  first  in  Connecticut,  in  accordance  with  the  Book 
of  Common  Prayer.  The  Churchmen  of  Stratford  applied  to 
the  authorities  for  the  use  of  the  meeting  house,  (which  the 
Churchmen  had  helped  to  build,)  but  this  request  was  refused. 
Mr.  Muirson  says  that  the  people  of  Stratford  "  ignorantly 
called  "  the  Church  "Rome's  sister."  Col.  Heathcote  writes  to 
the  Society  that  they  found  the  "  Colony  much  as  we  expected, 
very  ignorant  of  the  constitution  of  our  Church  and  for  that 
reason  great  enemies  to  it." 

At  the  second  coming  to  Stratford  of  Messrs.  Muirson  and 
Heathcote,  (they  were  there  three  times  before  April  4,  1707,) 
Mr.  Joseph  Curtice  and  James  Hudson  read  a  paper  to  Mr. 
Muirson  forbidding  him,  under  threats  of  fine  and  imprison- 
ment, from  holding  service  or  administering  the  Sacrament, 
the  purport  of  which  paper  Mr.  Muirson  says  "  was  to  let  me 
know  that  I  had  done  an  illegal  thing  in  coming  among  them 
to  establish  a  new  way  of  worship,  and  to  forewarn  me  from 
preaching  any  more.  And  this  he  did  by  virtue  of  one  of  their 
laws."     Mr.  Muirson  asked  for  a  copy  of  the  paper  and  was 


IN    CONNECTICUT,  43 

refused.  The  day  following,  Curtice  and  others  stood  in  the 
highway  and  forbade  any  to  go  to  the  assembly  of  Churchmen. 
The  ministers  and  magistrates  were  remarkably  industrious, 
going  from  house  to  house  and  persuading  the  people  from 
hearing  Mr.  Muirson  and  threatening  fines  and  imprisonment 
to  all  who  should  go  to  hear  him.  Mr.  Muirson  describes  the 
law  that  the  officers  read  to  him  with  such  accuracy  as  to  clearly 
identify  it  as  the  act  of  March  8,  1657-8  that  was  enacted  to  sup- 
press the  seceding  Congregationalists  of  Hartford,  and  which 
prohibited  people  from  entertaining  or  attending  any  minis- 
try or  Church  administration  "  distinct  and  separate  from  and 
in  opposition  to "  that  which  is  dispensed  by  the  settled  and 
approved  minister  of  the  place.  A  minister  or  Church  adminis- 
tration could  not  be  in  opposition  to  another,  unless  they  were 
both  of  the  same  persuasion.  The  true  intent  and  object  of  the 
law  was  to  regulate  the  Congregational  Churches.  It  could  not 
have  been  intended  to  apply  to  any  other  denomination,  for 
there  was  not  then  in  the  Colony  any  body  of  people  of  any 
other  persuasion.  The  toleration  act  of  1669  gave  all  Dis- 
senters from  the  Congregational  way,  who  were  orthodox  and 
sound  in  the  fundamentals  of  Christian  religion,  the  right  to 
worship  in  their  own  way  "  without  disturbance."  But  this 
act  was  omitted  from  the  revision  of  1702  and  no  substitute  for 
it  was  enacted  until  1708,  and  thus,  at  this  particular  time, 
(1707,)  there  was  no  law  to  modify  the  law  of  1657,  which  was 
so  vaguely  worded  as  to  be  improperly  applied  to  suppress 
Churchmen,  although  it  was  never  so  intended.  This  one 
instance  at  Stratford  is  the  only  record  we  have  of  any  attempt 
to  so  use  this  law.  There  never  was  a  law  of  the  Colony  that 
could  have  been  properly  used  to  prevent  Episcopalians  having 
a  minister  in  orders  from  assembling  and  worshipping  God  in 
accordance  with  the  rules  of  the  Church. 

Beardsley's  "  History  of  the  Church  in  Connecticut  "  says : 
When  the  Commissioners  of  Charles  Second  visited  Connecti- 
cut in  1665,  they  reported  to  England  that  the  Colony  "  will 
not  hinder  any  from  enjoying  the  Sacrament  and  using  the 
Common  Prayer  Book,  provided  they  hinder  not  the  mainten- 
ance of  the  public  minister."  "  But  the  Commissioners  could 
not  have  meant  by  this  statement  that  there  was  any  legal  pro- 


44  THE    CHURCH 

vision  for  such  liberty.  .  .  .  For  there  was  no  letting-  up  of 
the  Puritan  rigor,  nor  relaxation  of  the  rule  that  none  should 
have  liberty  to  worship  God  publicly,  except  after  the  order  of 
the  religion  estabhshed  by  the  civil  Government  until  1708." 
In  this  Beardsley  was  clearly  in  error.  The  law  of  April,  1665, 
(which  had  just  been  enacted,)  provided  for  that  liberty  of 
worship  which  the  Commissioners  reported,  and  so  did  the  law 
of  1669,  while  it  was  in  force.  In  fact  the  toleration  act  of 
1665  was  the  most  liberal  of  all  and  applied  to  "  all  persons  of 
civil  lives  "  giving  them  full  liberty  to  "  worship  God  in  that 
way  which  they  think  best."  The  act  of  1669  was  restricted 
to  persons  "  orthodox  and  sound  in  the  fundamentals  of 
Christian  religion,"  while  the  act  of  1708  was  still  farther  re- 
stricted, and  encumbered,  each  successive  toleration  act  making 
liberty  to  "  worship  God  in  that  way  they  think  best  "  still  more 
difificult  than  it  had  been  before.  "  Quakers,  Ranters,  Adamites, 
or  such  like  notorious  heretiques,"  are  the  only  sectaries  that 
were  ever  prohibited,  or  against  whom  any  law  was  ever  directly 
enacted,  and  the  law  against  them  was  repealed  in  May,  1706. 
Mr.  Muirson  wrote  to  England  that  the  laws  here  "  deny  a 
liberty  of  conscience  to  the  Church  of  England  people,  as  well 
as  to  others,"  and  that  such  denial  is  "  repugnant  to  the  laws 
of  England."  He  therefore  disregarded  the  attempted  applica- 
tion of  the  law  to  him  because  such  an  application  was  a  clear 
violation  of  the  English  toleration  act,  which  guaranteed  to 
all  freedom  to  worship  God  in  their  own  way.  The  people  of 
Stratford  were  not  intimidated  by  the  acts  of  the  authorities. 
On  the  contrary,  more  and  more  came  to  hear  Mr.  Muirson 
and  to  receive  baptism  and  the  Holy  Communion,  many  of 
whom  had  never  received  it  before. 

Mr.  Muirson  writes  to  the  Secretary  of  the  S.  P.  G.  under 
date  of  April  4,  1707,  that  on  invitation,  he  had  lately  preached 
in  a  private  house  at  Fairfield  and  baptized  some  children.  The 
Rev.  Mr.  Evans  of  Philadelphia  was  with  him.  He  also  asks 
the  Society  to  send  over  some  Common  Prayer  Books  and  some 
small  treatise  in  defense  of  the  Church.  For  years  after,  this 
request  for  Church  books  was  often  and  earnestly  repeated 
by  the   several   missionaries.      The  Church   at   Stratford  was 


IN    CONNECTICUT.  45 

organized  by  Mr.  Muirson,  and  wardens  and  vestrymen  elected 
in  April,  1707. 

Under  date  of  April  14,  1707,  Col.  Heathcote  writes  that 
Mr.  Read,  the  minister  at  Stratford,  had  come  over  to  the 
Church  and  had  been  dismissed.  Again,  under  date  of  Feb. 
24,  1707-8,  he  says :  "  I  acquainted  you  in  my  former  letter 
that  there  was  a  very  ingenious  gentleman  at  Stratford,  one 
Mr.  Read  the  Minister  of  that  place,  who  is  very  inclinable  to 
come  over  to  the  Church.  By  reason  of  this,  he  has  undergone 
persecution  by  his  people  who  do  all  in  their  power  to  starve 
him."  Mr.  Heathcote  desired  Mr.  Read  to  go  to  England  for 
orders,  and  writes  that  in  case  of  "  any  proposal  of  his  coming 
over  for  ordination,  his  family,  which  is  pretty  large,  must  be 
taken  care  of."  This  was  the  Rev.  John  Read,  Congregation- 
alist  minister  at  Stratford.  In  Orcutt's  "  History  of  Strat- 
ford "  we  find  that  he  was  called  to  Stratford  in  May,  1703, 
and  very  soon  after,  Sept.  25,  1706,  "  perhaps  before,  some 
talk  was  indulged  in  by  the  public  which  Mr.  Read  resented 
and  demanded  inquiry."  "  No  indication  as  to  what  was  said 
offensive  to  Mr.  Read  .  .  .  has  been  found  except  the 
intimation  that  he  had  made  overtures  to  join  the  Episcopal 
Church."  He  resigned  March  27,  1707.  He  was  the  first 
Congregational  minister  in  Connecticut  to  go  over  to  the 
Church  and  also  the  first  person  to  do  so  whose  name  is 
known.  Perhaps  he  was  one  of  the  ministers  who  had 
opposed  the  services  of  the  Church  at  Stratford. 

He  was  born  1673,  graduated  at  Harvard  1697,  married 
Ruth,  daughter  of  Major  John  Talcott  of  Hartford,  preached 
at  Waterbury,  1698-9,  at  East  Hartford  two  years,  then  at 
Stratford,  1703  to  1707,  removed  to  New  Mil  ford  and  settled 
in  a  log  hut,  bought  large  tracts  of  land  of  the  Indians,  was 
involved  in  large  and  unsuccessful  land  litigation  and  was 
finally  rewarded  by  a  grant  of  20,000  acres  of  land  from  the 
General  Court.  Part  of  this  land  was  in  the  present  town  of 
Redding,  (originally  spelled  Reading,)  the  town  being  named 
after  Mr.  Read,  whose  son  John  was  one  of  its  first  settlers. 
The  people  at  New  Mil  ford  used  Mr.  Read's  house  as  a  place 
of  worship,  Mr.  Read  himself  preaching  there  occasionally. 
He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1708  and  then  both  preached  and 


46  THE    CHURCH 

practiced.  In  17 12  was  appointed  Queen's  Attorney  for  the 
Colony;  removed  to  Boston  in  1722,  where  he  was  a  successful 
lawyer,  Attorney  General  of  that  Colony,  and  a  Communicant 
at  King's  Chapel.  He  died  at  Boston,  Feb.  14,  1748-9.  [D.  C. 
Kilbourn  in  Connecticut  Magazine,  and  Orcutt's  History  of 
Stratford.] 

Mr.  Muirson  extended  his  services  into  several  places  in 
Fairfield  County  and  was  so  well  received  that  the  Rev.  John 
Talbot,  (who  had  probably  preached  there  about  that  time,) 
writes  to  Mr.  Keith  in  February,  1707-8,  that  "  Norwalk  and 
Fairfield  are  ready  to  break  open  their  meeting  house  doors 
and  let  him,  (Mr.  Muirson,)  in  if  he  would  suffer  it."  And 
also  that  they  had  "  taken  measures  at  Stratford  to  build  a 
church,  which  never  was  seen  in  that  country  before.  I  pray 
God  sent  them  an  able  minister  of  the  New  Testament  for 
they  have  been  long  enough  under  the  old  dispensation." 

Mr.  Muirson  writes  that  the  people  of  Connecticut  "  say  the 
sign  of  the  cross  is  the  mark  of  the  beast  and  the  sign  of  the 
devil,  and  that  those  who  receive  it  are  given  to  the  devil." 
The  Society  finally  tranferred  Mr.  Muirson  from  Rye  to  Strat- 
ford, but  he  died  Oct.  12,  1708,  before  he  learned  of  this 
appointment.  The  parish  with  about  30  communicants  and  a 
respectable  number  of  families  was  left  to  the  occasional 
services  of  missionaries  who  chanced  to  visit  them.  In  17 10 
the  Rev.  John  Sharpe,  Chaplain  to  the  Forces  in  the  Fort  of 
New  York,  officiated  frequently  at  Stratford  and  several  other 
places  in  Connecticut.  Fie  records  in  his  diary  the  baptism  at 
Long  Hill,  Jan.  27,  1710,  of  "  Isaac  Styles,  the  first  Man  Child 
born  in  the  Colony  of  Connecticut,  a  man  of  80  years  of  age." 
In  this  year  the  people  of  Stratford  petitioned  for  a  missionary 
and  at  length  Rev.  Francis  Philips  was  appointed,  arriving  there 
just  before  Christmas,  1712,  and  staying  part  of  the  time  till 
the  mid-summer  of  1713.  He  left  without  orders  from,  or  the 
knowledge  or  consent  of  the  Society  whose  agent  he  was.  But 
the  Church  continued  to  grow,  and  on  April  9,  17 14,  they  write 
to  Col.  Heathcote  that  they  "  have  at  last  got  the  timber  felled 
and  do  hope  to  have  it  raised  in  three  months  time,"  meaning 
a  house  of  worship.  In  order  to  prevent  as  much  as  possible 
the  growth  of  the  Church  in  Stratford,  the  Standing  Order, 


IN    CONNECTICUT.  47 

after  consulting  the  rest  of  Connecticut  and  tlie  wise  men  of 
Boston,  determined  that  one  of  the  best  preachers  that  both 
Colonies  could  afford  should  be  sought  and  sent  to  Stratford 
to  counteract  the  growth  of  the  Church.  Accordingly  the  Rev. 
Timothy  Cutler,  then  of  Boston,  or  its  vicinity,  was  settled  at 
Stratford.  But  while  the  Congregationalists  were  thus  sup- 
plied with  an  able  minister,  the  poor  Episcopalians  had  none. 
Their  house  of  worship  did  not  materialize,  and  the  venerable 
Society  failed  to  send  them  a  missionary,  although  they 
promised  in  1720  to  do  so.  Two  years  afterwards  the  Rev. 
George  Pigott  was  sent  to  them  and  on  May  29,  1722,  they  say 
of  "  his  care  over  us,  we  are  well  satisfied  that  it  will  be  to  the 
advantage  of  the  Church."  But  about  five  years  before  Mr. 
Pigott  came,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Cutler  had  become  the  Rector  of 
Yale  College,  and  little  did  the  wise  men  who  had  placed  him 
at  Stratford  to  check  Episcopacy,  dream  that  in  eight  short 
years  he  would  be  the  means  of  imparting  to  the  Church  in 
Connecticut  its  first  susbtantial  growth,  whereby  the  one  poor 
struggling  Church  in  a  single  town  was  soon  multiplied  many 
times,  and  extended  throughout  the  western  part  of  the  Colony. 
Not  only  in  Connecticut,  but  throughout  all  the  Colonies  was 
there  great  consternation  when  it  became  known,  in  1722,  that 
Timothy  Cutler,  the  Rector  of  Yale  College,  Daniel  Brown 
the  tutor,  and  the  Rev.  Samuel  Johnson,  pastor  of  the  Congre- 
gational Church  at  West  Haven,  had  declared  for  Episcopacy 
and  were  going  to  England  to  receive  ordination  by  a  Bishop. 
At  this  time  there  was  not  an  Episcopal  house  of  worship  in 
Connecticut  and  the  little  band  at  Stratford  was  the  only 
organized  Church.  The  Rev.  James  Wetmore,  Congregational 
minister  in  North  Haven,  soon  followed  the  others  to  England 
for  Episcopal  ordination.  Mr.  Brown  died  in  England,  Cutler 
and  Johnson  returned  in  the  fall  of  1723,  Mr.  Cutler  going  to 
Christ  Church  at  Boston,  while  Mr.  Johnson  relieved  Mr. 
Pigott  at  Christ  Church,  Stratford,  the  latter  being  transferred 
to  Providence.  Mr.  Wetmore  eventually  settled  at  Rye,  N.  Y. 
Referring  to  the  conversion  of  Dr.  Cutler  and  his  three  com- 
panions, Mr.  Pigott  says  Oct.  3,  1722,  "  This  great  onset 
towards  a  reformation  in  this  deluded  country  has  brought  in 
vast  numbers  to  favor  the  Church  of  England."     Newtown  and 


48  THE    CHURCH 

Ripton,  if  not  Fairfield,  he  adds,  intend  to  petition  the  Society 
for  ministers.  On  Nov.  6,  1722,  Mr.  Pigott  writes,  "  The  sub- 
scribers at  Ripton  have  been  of  long  standing  inclined  to  the 
Church,  yet  among  them  there  are  some  lately  brought  over. 
But  those  of  Newtown  to  a  man  have  been  induced  by  my  means 
to  embrace  our  profession.  I  believe  two  missionaries  might 
serve  all  four  towns,  that  is  one  might  attend  on  Stratford  and 
Fairfield  and  the  other  on  Newtown  and  Ripton,  alternately." 
During  the  year  ending  June,  1723,  sixty-seven  new  communi- 
cants were  added  to  the  Church  at  Stratford,  and  when  Mr. 
Johnson  arrived  there  to  take  charge  on  Nov.  i,  1723,  he  found 
seventy-nine  communicants  and  a  house  of  worship  in  progress 
of  construction.  The  Churchmen  of  Stratford  gave  what  they 
could  for  building  the  church,  to  which  was  added  liberal  con- 
tributions of  several  pious  and  generous  gentlemen  of  the 
neighboring  provinces,  and  something  from  travellers  who 
passed  through  the  town.  Mr.  Pigott's  labors  in  addition  to 
Stratford,  Fairfield,  Ripton  and  Newtown,  had  been  extended 
to  Norwalk,  North  Haven  and  perhaps  other  places,  and  this 
so  disturbed  Deputy  Gov.  Nathan  Gold  of  Norwalk,  that  he 
proposed  to  the  General  Court  a  law  to  prohibit  Mr.  Pigott 
practicing  the  function  of  a  minister  in  any  place  in  the  Colony 
other  than  Stratford.  But  no  such  law  could  be  passed.  Dr. 
Johnson  under  date  of  Jan.  18,  1723-4  writes  that  the  Church- 
men are  chiefly  in  six  or  seven  towns  and  "yet  there  is  not  one 
Clergyman  of  the  Church  of  England  besides  myself  in  this 
whole  Colony."  He  was  obliged  to  ride  about  to  other  towns, 
(some  ten,  some  twenty  miles  off,)  "  where  there  is  as  much 
need  of  a  minister  as  at  Stratford.  ...  A  considerable 
number  of  young  men,  five  or  six,  I  am  sure  of  would  be 
ordained,  but  for  want  of  Episcopal  ordination  decline  the 
ministry  and  go  into  secular  business."  About  a  year  later 
Dr.  Johnson  refers  to  a  young  man  of  Fairfield,  (Mr.  Henry 
Caner,  grad.  Yale  1724,)  whom  the  Doctor  was  preparing  for 
the  service  of  the  Church.  This  is  the  first  person  studying 
for  the  ministry  of  the  Church  in  Connecticut  of  whom  we  have 
any  account.  He  was  probably  brought  up  in  the  Church,  as 
he  was  born  in  England,  about  1703.  In  1725,  Dr.  Johnson 
writes  "  Sundry  of  the  young  candidates  for  the  ministry  repair 


IN    CONNECTICUT.  49 

to  me  frequently  for  books  and  conversations  upon  religious 
subjects.  People  are  poor,  (many  of  them,)  and  thirst  after 
Prayer  Books,  Catechisms,  &c.  but  these  books  are  not  to  be 
had  in  this  country  even  if  they  had  money  to  purchase  them." 

The  church  at  Stratford,  the  first  Episcopal  church  in  Con- 
necticut, was  so  far  finished  as  to  be  opened  for  Services  on 
Christmas  day,  1724;  the  second  church  was  opened  at  Fair- 
field, in  the  fall  of  1725,  and  the  third  church  was  opened  at 
New  London  on  Dec.  9,  1730. 

Gov.  Talcott  wrote  to  the  Bishop  of  London  under  date  Dec. 
I,  1725,  that  "  there  is  but  one  Church  of  England  minister  in 
this  Colony  and  the  Church  with  him  have  the  same  protection 
a's  the  rest  of  our  Churches  and  are  under  no  constraint  to  the 
support  of  any  other  minister."  He  refers  to  "  some  few 
persons  "  in  other  towns  "  who  have  declared  themselves  to  be 
of  the  Church  of  England  ;  and  some  of  them  that  live  30  or 
40  miles  from  where  the  Church  of  England's  minister  lives  " 
have  made  some  objection  to  compulsory  minister's  support. 
It  may  be  true  that  the  Churchmen  of  Stratford  were  not  under 
"  constraint  to  contribute  to  the  support  of  any  other  minister," 
but  if  so,  it  was  through  the  leniency  of  those  in  authority,  as 
before  May,  1727,  the  law,  if  enforced,  would  have  compelled 
them  to  do  so. 

Mr.  Johnson  writes  to  the  Bishop  of  London,  Sept.  26,  1726, 
as  follows :  "  I  cannot  but  think  it  very  hard,  that  that  Church 
of  which  our  most  gracious  King  is  the  nursing  father,  should 
not,  in  any  part  of  his  Majesty's  domains,  be  at  least  upon  a 
level  with  the  Dissenters  and  free  from  any  oppression  from 
them." 

"  As  soon  as  any  stranger,  though  an  Englishman,  comes 
into  any  town,  he  is  according  to  their  laws,  immediately 
warned  to  go  out,  which  they  always  do  if  he  is  a  Churchman, 
and  it  is  in  the  breast  of  the  selectmen  of  the  town  whether 
they  will  accept  of  any  bondsman  for  him.  Neither  can  he 
purchase  any  lands  without  their  leave,  and  unless  they  see 
cause  to  allow  him  to  stay,  they  can,  by  their  laws,  whip  him 
out  of  town,  if  he  otherwise  refuse  to  depart.  By  this  means 
several  professors  of  our  Church,  for  no  other  crime  but  their 
profession,  have  been  prevented  from  settling  here." 


50  THE   CHURCH 

In  January,  1726-7  Mr.  Johnson  writes  that  he  has  been  to 
Fairfield  "  to  visit  a  considerable  number  of  my  people  in  prison 
for  their  rates  to  the  dissenting  minister.  ...  I  wish  your 
Lordship,  or  some  of  your  sacred  character,  could  have  been  by 
to  behold  the  contempt  and  indignity  which  our  holy  religion 
here  suffers  among  an  ungrateful  people."  ''  Unless  we  can 
have  relief  and  be  delivered  from  this  unreasonable  treatment, 
I  fear  I  must  give  up  the  cause,  and  our  Church  must  sink  and 
come  to  nothing."  And  yet  these  people  were  legally  put  in 
prison  and  could  not  reasonably  have  expected  any  other  treat- 
ment as  long  as  the  law  remained  as  it  then  was.  Referring 
to  Church  and  State  in  Old  England  and  in  New  England,  one 
writer  says  "  The  real  difference  was,  that  in  Old  England  the 
Church  was  subordinate  to  the  State ;  but  in  New  England  the 
State  was  subordinate  to  the  Church." 

"  This  mode  of  government  answered  a  tolerable  purpose  so 
long  as  the  community  continued  Christian,  and  so  long  as  the 
people  were  united  in  sentiment,"  and  we  may  add,  in  religion. 
Such  unity  had  been  the  case  for  nearly  one  hundred  years,  but 
it  no  longer  existed.  The  Baptists  came  to  Groton  in  1704  and 
organized  a  Church  in  1705,  although  it  was  about  twenty-five 
years  before  a  second  Church  was  organized.  The  Quakers 
of  New  York  state  had  also  crossed  our  borders,  and  the  Con- 
gregationalists  had  split  up  into  two  factions,  those  adopting 
the  Saybrook  Platform  of  1708,  and  the  dissenters  therefrom, 
known  as  Separatists.  These  with  the  Presbyterians  and 
Churchmen  made  six  different  religious  denominations  then 
in  the  Colony,  besides  the  Rogerenes  of  New  London.  These 
new  conditions  made  the  old  law  for  the  minister's  support  both 
unreasonable  and  unjust.  The  toleration  acts  of  1665,  1669, 
and  1708,  in  terms  complied  with  the  law  of  England  by  extend- 
ing freedom  of  worship  to  persons  of  all  denominations,  but 
the  laws  in  general  were  so  framed  that  those  who  elected  to 
worship  in  any  other  than  the  Congregational  way  were  sub- 
jected to  various  annoyances  and  made  to  pay  for  it  so  dearly 
as  to  discourage  all  other  worship,  as  far  as  it  could  be  dis- 
couraged without  actual  prohibition.  Mr.  Johnson  considered 
the  law  of  the  Colony  for  the  minister's  support  to  be  contrary 
to  the  indulgence  granted  the  Colony  "by  their  charter,  which 


IN    CONNECTICUT.  ,  5 1 

forbade  them  to  do  anything  contrary  to  the  laws  of  England." 
The  toleration  act  of  1708  expressly  provided  that  dissenting 
worshippers  should  not  be  "  excused  from  paying  minister's 
rates",  for  the  "  way  "  established  by  law. 

The  Church  wardens  and  vestry  of  Fairfield  petitioned  the 
General  Court  which  assembled  May  15,  1727,  for  some  act  to 
"  excuse  us  from  paying  any  dissenting  minister,  or  to  the 
building  of  any  dissenting  meeting  house."  Also  requesting 
that  the  money  formerly  taken  from  them  by  distraint,  (as 
they  say  "  contrary  to  His  Honor,  the  Governor's  advice,") 
be  restored  to  them  again.  A  law  purporting  to  give  Church- 
men relief  from  taxes  was  passed,  and  it  is  difficult  to  conceive 
how  any  law  for  such  purpose  could  have  possibly  been  so 
framed  as  to  give  as  little  relief.  It  was  the  first  law  to  name 
the  Church  of  England,  and  the  first  law  granting  any  relief 
from  taxes  to  those  who  were  not  of  the  Standing  Order.  It 
has  been  stated  that  this  law  was  passed  at  the  request  of 
Churchmen,  but  they  never  requested  this  law.  It  was  like 
asking  for  bread  and  receiving  a  stone.  The  rights  of  Epis- 
copalians under  the  laws  of  the  Colony  have  generally  been 
misunderstood,  and  the  importance  of  this  act  of  1727  in  the 
history  of  the  Church  is  so  great  as  to  warrant  an  extended 
discussion. 

The  preamble  to  the  act  shows  that  it  was  granted  "  Upon 
the  Prayer  of  Moses  Ward  of  Fairfield,  Church  Warden,  and 
the  rest  of  the  Church  Wardens,  Vestry  M^n  and  Brethren, 
representing  themselves  under  Obligations  by  the  Honorable 
Society,  and  Bishop  of  London,  to  pay  to  the  Support  of  the 
established  Church,"  and  that  "  said  Ward  appeared,  and  by 
his  attorney  declared  to  this  Assembly,  that  he  should  not 
insist  on  the  return  of  the  money  prayed  for." 

The  law  enacted  "  That  all  persons  who  are  of  the  Church  of 
England,  and  those  who  are  of  the  Churches  established  by  the 
laws  of  this  Government,  that  live  in  the  bounds  of  any  Parish 
allowed  by  this  Assembly,  shall  be  taxed  by  the  parishioners 
of  the  said  Parish,  by  the  same  rule,  and  in  the  same  proportion, 
for  the  support  of  the  Ministry  in  such  Parish."  The  condi- 
tions here  imposed  are  the  controlling  features  of  the  act.  It 
is  imperative  that  Churchmen  shall  be  taxed  to  support  the 


52  THE    CHURCH 

ministers  of  the  Standing  Order,  "  by  the  same  rule,  and  in  the 
same  proportion  "  as  all  others,  and  further,  the  conditions  of 
this  act  are  applicable  only  to  those  "  that  live  in  the  bounds  " 
of  the  particular  Congregational  parish  where  the  tax  was  laid. 
The  omission  to  notice  this  condition  has  been  one  of  the  chief 
causes  of  misunderstanding  the  law. 

The  law  gives  no  conditions  for  relief  to  the  tax  payer  as  to 
taxes  for  supporting  ministers  of  the  Standing  Order.  The 
only  relief  is  directly  for  the  Episcopal  Minister  and  is  as 
follows : 

"  But  if  it  so  happens  that  there  be  a  Society  of  the  Church 
of  England,  where  there  is  a  person  in  Orders  according  to  the 
Canons  of  the  Church  of  England,  settled  and  abiding  among 
them,  and  performing  divine  service,  so  near  to  any  person  that 
hath  declared  himself  of  the  Church  of  England,  that  he  can 
conveniently,  and  doth  attend  the  public  Worship  there,  then  the 
Collectors,  having  first  indifferently  levied  the  Tax,  as  above- 
said,  shall  deliver  the  Taxes  collected  of  such  persons  declaring 
themselves,  and  attending  as  aforesaid,  unto  the  Minister  of  the 
Church  of  England,  living  near  unto  such  persons ;  which 
Minister  shall  have  full  power  to  receive  and  recover  the  same, 
in  order  to  his  support  in  the  place  assigned  to  him." 

But  before  the  Episcopal  minister  could  recover  the  taxes 
paid  by  the  members  of  his  flock  to  the  Collector  of  the  Stand- 
ing Order,  he  must  prove  that  he  "  is  a  person  in  orders  accord- 
ing to  the  canons  of  the  Church  " ;  that  he  resides  in  the  same 
Congregational  parish  with  those  Churchmen  whose  taxes  he 
demands ;  that  he  has  regularly  performed  Divine  Service  in 
that  vicinity ;  that  the  persons  whose  taxes  he  demands  have 
"  declared  "  themselves  to  be  Churchmen,  and  that  they  have 
regularly  attended  services  at  the  public  worship  conducted 
by  this  minister. 

The  remainder  of  the  act  is  as  follows: 

"  But  if  such  proportions  of  Taxes  be  not  sufificient  in  any 
Society  of  the  Church  of  England  to  support  the  incumbent 
there,  then  such  society  may  levy  and  collect  of  them  who 
profess  and  attend,  as  aforesaid,  greater  Taxes,  at  their  own 
discretion,  for  the  support  of  their  Minister. 

"  And  that  the  parishioners  of  the  Church  of  England,  attend- 
ing as  aforesaid,  are  hereby  excused  from  paying  any  Taxes 


IN    CONNECTICUT.  53 

for  building  Meeting"  Houses  for  the  present  established 
Churches  of  this  Government." 

The  provision  for  further  taxing  Churchmen  for  their  own 
support  requires  no  explanation,  but  the  relief  from  paying 
meeting-house  taxes  applies,  by  reason  of  the  words  "attending 
as  aforesaid "  only  to  such  Churchmen  as  have  fulfilled  the 
conditions  named  in  the  previous  portion  of  the  act,  and  there- 
fore only  those  Churchmen  who  resided  in  the  same  Congrega- 
tional parish  that  the  Episcopal  Minister  resided  in,  could 
properly  claim  exemption  from  meeting-house  taxes. 

In  the  spring  of  1727  when  this  act  was  passed,  there  were 
only  two  Episcopal  houses  of  worship  in  use  within  the  Colony, 
one  at  Stratford  and  an  unfinished  one  at  Fairfield.  There  was 
another  in  the  process  of  building  at  New  London.  These 
three  towns  had  each  organized  a  parish  or  society ;  so  also 
West  Haven,  Ripton,  Ridgefield,  Newtown,  Norwalk,  North 
Haven,  Poquonnuck,  (North  Groton,)  Green's  Farms,  Green- 
field, Chestnut  Ridge,  (Redding,)  and  Danbury,  either  had 
parishes  or  had  laid  the  foundations  for  a  parish,  and  yet,  to 
take  care  of  all  these  fourteen  places,  there  was  only  one  Minis- 
ter "  in  Orders  according  to  the  Canons  of  the  Church  of  Eng- 
land settled  and  abiding  among  them  ",  and  Stratford,  where  the 
Rev.  Samuel  Johnson  resided,  was  the  only  place  in  the  Colony 
where  Churchmen  could  get  any  relief  under  this  law. 

Fairfield,  however,  was  soon  added  to  the  list  by  the  appoint- 
ment as  missionary  of  Rev.  Henry  Caner,  who  had  been  study- 
ing for  the  ministry  for  three  years  last  past  and  had  also  per- 
formed good  service  as  catechist  and  lay  reader.  He  returned 
in  the  fall  of  1727  from  England,  where  he  had  been  for  ordina- 
tion. His  first  report  to  the  Society  is  dated  March  15,  1727-8. 
He  says  the  heavy  taxes  levied  for  the  support  of  dissenting 
ministers  renders  his  people  "  almost  inacapable  of  carrying  on 
the  Church."  Under  the  same  date  he  writes  to  the  Bishop  of 
London  that  "  the  Dissenters  in  this  government  have  lately 
passed  an  act  to  exempt  all  professors  of  the  Church  from  pay- 
ing taxes  to  support  their  ministers,  yet  they  take  the  liberty 
to  determine  themselves  who  may  be  called  Churchmen,  and 
interpret  that  act  to  comprehend  none  that  live  a  mile  from  the 
Church  minister,  but  of  its  revenues  likewise,  we  are  entirely 


54  'fHE    CHURCH 

deprived  of  the  benefit  of ;    and  the  favor  which  they  would 
seem  to  do  us  proves,  in  reaHty,  but  a  shadow." 

Under  date  of  April  2,  1728,  Mr,  Johnson  of  Stratford  writes 
to  the  Bishop  of  London,  that  "  The  Government  have  pre- 
tended to  make  a  law  in  favor  of  the  Church,  whereby  all 
that  live  near  our  parish  churches  are  exempted  from  paying 
taxes  to  dissenting  ministers,  and  it  is  of  some  service  to  such, 
but  those  that  live  scattering  in  the  country  are  yet  persecuted 
as  bad  as  ever,  and  in  this  law  they  still  call  themselves  the 
Established  Churches,  and  treat  us  as  Dissenters." 

Mr.  Caner  mentions  nearness  to  the  Church  minister  as  the 
controlling  condition  for  exemption  from  taxes,  but  in  fact, 
the  bounds  of  the  established  parish  where  the  Church  minister 
resided  was  the  real  limit  of  exemption,  while  the  words  *'  near 
to  "  in  the  law  relate  to  the  place  of  worship  and  not  to  the 
abode  of  the  minister.  The  law  itself  defines  what  "  near  to  " 
means,  so  that  if  a  person  could  and  did  attend  worship  in  any 
place  he  was  "  near  to  "  that  place  within  the  meaning  of  the 
law.  We  are  at  a  loss  to  see  on  what  ground  the  taxes  of  the 
Churchmen  of  Fairfield  who  attended  Mr.  Caner's  services 
there  should  not  have  been  paid  over  to  Mr.  Caner,  unless  they 
were  assessed  before  Mr.  Caner's  return  from  England.  It  was 
certainly  the  rule  to  give  Episcopalians  the  benefit  of  this  law 
in  all  places  where  the  Episcopal  ministers  resided,  and  in  most 
other  places  Episcopalians  legally  suffered.  The  authorities 
might  however  have  claimed  that  a  general  missionary  for  two 
or  more  different  places  was  not  a  minister  "  settled  and  abid- 
ing "  in  any  particular  place  according  to  the  intent  of  the  law. 
That  a  minister  should  have  several  parishes  to  serve  alternately, 
was  foreign  to  the  conceptions  of  the  Standing  Order.  They 
might  well  have  raised  the  question  as  to  who  were  "  declared  " 
Churchmen.  The  only  law  bearing  on  the  declarations  of  dis- 
senters was  the  toleration  act  of  1708,  which  required  those  who 
desired  to  worship  God  in  a  way  different  from  that  of  the 
Standing  Order,  to  qualify  themselves  at  the  County  Court 
"  according  to  an  act  made  in  the  first  year  of  the  late  King 
William  and  Queen  Mary."  We  find  no  record  of  any  such 
qualification  in  Hartford  County  and  do  not  know  that  any  one 
ever  qualified  under  it  except  a  few  Straight  Congregational- 


IN    CONNECTICUT.  55 

ists  in  New  Haven  County.  The  words  "  hath  declared  himself 
of  the  Church  of  England  "  as  used  in  the  act  of  1727  could 
be  fairly  construed  as  so  declaring  under  the  toleration  law  of 
1708.  We  do  not  know  that  the  law  ever  was  so  construed. 
On  May  9,  1728,  the  Church  wardens  and  vestrymen  of  Fair- 
field presented  a  memorial  to  the  General  Assembly  saying  that 
the  act  of  1727  "  is  not  fully  understood  "  and  particularly  they 
did  not  understand  "  what  part  of  the  professors  of  the  Church 
of  England  are  exempted,  all  being  within  the  district  of  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Johnson  and  Mr.  Caner's  ministry,  within  the  county 
of  Fairfield."  They  ask  for  an  explanation,  and  also  for  a  law 
that  taxes  be  granted  "  by  the  book  of  canons  .  .  .  and  not 
by  your  collectors."     No  action  was  taken  on  this  petition, 

A  little  before  April  i,  1728,  Mr.  Johnson  preached  at  New 
Haven.  He  says,  "  Great  pains  were  taken  to  hinder  people 
from  coming  to  Church  and  many  well  wishers  to  it  were  over- 
persuaded  not  to  come ;  however,  I  had  near  a  hundred 
hearers."  After  sermon,  "  some  ten  of  the  members  of  the 
Church  there  subscribed  one  hundred  pounds  towards  the  build- 
ing of  a  church  in  that  town." 

The  act  of  1727  encouraged  the  Quakers  to  apply  for  relief 
from  taxes,  which  was  granted  at  the  May  session  in  1729  and 
the  same  favor  was  extended  to  the  Baptists  in  October,  1729. 
We  presume  the  law  makers  preferred  Quakers  and  Baptists  to 
Episcopalians,  for  the  most  objectionable  features  of  the  law  of 
1727  were  omitted  from  these  acts  of  1729,  whereby  all  Quakers 
and  Baptists  that  attended  their  respective  meetings  were 
wholly  exempted  from  taxes  on  behalf  of  the  Standing  Order. 
The  Straight  Congregationalists  had  no  relief  whatever  from 
the  oppressions  of  the  Standing  Order  until  1777. 

The  Rev.  Samuel  Seabury,  father  of  Bishop  Seabury  and  the 
Congregationalist  minister  at  North  Groton,  (now  Ledyard,) 
declared  for  Episcopacy,  went  to  England  for  ordination,  and 
returned  as  missionary  to  New  London,  Dec.  9,  1730.  The 
Rev.  John  Beach,  Presbyterian  minister  at  Newtown,  soon 
followed,  and  was  returned  here  as  missionary  for  Redding  and 
Newtown  in  1734. 

The  people  of  North  Groton  consoled  themselves  over  the 
loss  of  the  Rev.  Samuel  Seabury  by  securing  the  services  of  the 


56  THE    CHURCH 

Rev.  Ebenezer  Punderson,  and  they  were  so  well  pleased  with 
him  as  to  say  "  we  looked  upon  ourselves  as  favorites  of 
Heaven,"  but  in  about  two  and  a  half  years  he  "publicly 
declared  himself  to  be  a  conformist  to  the  Established  Church 
of  England,"  and  they  say  some  "  ten  or  twelve  of  the  people 
of  our  Parish  and  heads  of  families  have  signed  his  paper  and 
contributed  money  to  him  to  have  his  expenses  "  to  England 
paid  for  him  "to  be  ordained  by  a  bishop."  [Ecclesiastical 
Mss.,  Vol.  4,  Doc.  51.]  Mr.  Punderson  was  recommended  by 
the  clergy  of  Connecticut,  who  said  there  was  "  a  good  prospect 
that  many  of  his  former  parish  will  go  with  him."  He  came 
back  in  1734  as  missionary  for  North  Groton  and  parts 
adjacent.  In  December,  1733,  Mr.  Johnson  wrote  to  the  Bishop 
of  London  that  he  believed  two  or  three  worthy  young  ministers 
of  this  Colony  "will  in  a  little  time  declare  for  us,"  and  that 
"  two  of  them  especially  have  hopes  that  the  most  of  their  con- 
gregation will  conform  with  them."  One  of  these  two  was  Mr. 
Punderson  and  the  other  was  Jonathan  Arnold,  who  had  suc- 
ceeded Mr.  Johnson  at  West  Haven.  In  1734  Mr.  Arnold 
returned  from  England  with  the  appointment  of  itinerant  mis- 
sionary of  the  Colony,  and  the  Standing  Order  at  West  Haven,  r 
like  the  people  of  North  Groton,  were  grieved  at  the  loss  of  two 
successive  pastors  and  part  of  their  congregation. 

The  honorable  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel  in 
Foreign  Plantations  of  the  Realm  of  England  breathed  into 
the  Church  in  Connecticut  the  breath  of  life,  and  by  its  foster- 
ing care  sustained  the  Church  until  it  was  strong  enough  to 
stand  the  shock  of  the  American  Revolution.  Each  missionary 
was  requested  to  "  keep  a  constant  and  regular  correspondence  " 
with  the  Secretary  of  the  Society,  besides  making  semi-annual 
reports.  It  is  by  this  correspondence  that  we  have  such  a  com- 
plete history  of  the  Church.  The  missionaries  were  paid  from 
twenty  to  seventy  pounds  sterling  per  annum,  and  each  mis- 
sionary was  allowed  a  library  valued  at  ten  pounds  sterling  with 
five  pounds  worth  of  tracts.  Of  the  83  missionaries  on  the 
Society's  list  in  New  England  more  than  one-fourth  were 
brought  up  Dissenters.  In  Connecticut  there  was  a  much 
larger  percentage  of  those  who  had  come  over  to  the  Church, 
Of  the  first  nine  missionaries  appointed  to  stations  in  Connecti- 
cut, six  of  them  had  been  dissenting  ministers. 


IN    CONNECTICUT.  57 

The  missionaries  were  instructed  "  that  they  take  special 
care  to  give  no  offence  to  the  Civil  Government,  by  inter-med- 
dling in  affairs  not  relating  to  their  own  calling  and  function." 

"  That  they  particularly  preach  against  those  vices,  which 
they  shall  observe  to  be  most  predominating  in  the  places  of 
their  residence." 

No  missionary  was  appointed  to  any  place  without  first  being 
petitioned  for,  and  without  being  recommended  by  some  mis- 
sionary or  other  person  known  to  the  Society.  Even  then  no 
missionary  was  sent  until  the  Society  knew  "  whether  those 
places  are  able  and  willing  to  contribute  towards  the  mainten- 
ance of  a  missionary,"  and  those  places  which  were  most  willing 
to  contribute  were  always  supplied  first.  Ripton  and  Newtown 
in  1722  both  asked  for  a  missionary  and  referred  to  certain 
lands  for  Church  support,  but  did  not  state  specifically  how 
much  they  could  do.  Two  years  later  they  were  informed  that 
the  "  Society  are  inclined  to  send  them  a  Missionary,  but  write 
first  to  know  what  the  value  of  the  land  is  .  .  .  and  what 
they  will  contribute  further  annually  ?  " 

The  people  soon  learned  that  it  was  necessary  to  offer  the 
Society  something  substantial  towards  supporting  a  missionary 
before  they  could  have  one,  and  even  then  only  a  few  mission- 
aries were  to  be  had. 

There  was  at  Hebron  in  1736  "  a  numerous  congregation 
who  attended  the  services  of  the  Common  Prayers  with  great 
seriousness  "  when  Missionary  Seabury  of  New  London,  thirty 
miles  away,  came  to  visit  them.  They  could  not  get  a  mis- 
sionary and  so  desired  Mr.  Seabury  to  "  administer  to  them 
four  times  a  year  until  one  could  be  sent." 

In  1740  the  "  Church  newly  planted  "  at  Wallingford  was 
served  only  once  a  quarter  by  a  minister  and  every  Lord's  day 
besides  they  were  served  by  a  lay  reader.  They  knew  that  Mr. 
Morris  could  not  come  to  them  oftener,  but,  say  they,  "we 
hope  God  in  his  providence,  will  so  order  it  that  we  may  at  last 
be  oftener  attended."  Mr.  Morris  writes  that  upon  Mr.  Arnold 
leaving,  the  people  "  seemed  to  despair  of  having  another  to 
succeed  him."  ..."  Should  I  give  an  account  of  the 
geography  of  my  mission  you  would  find  it  large  enough  for  a 
Diocese." 


58  THE    CHURCH 

In  1741,  Mr.  Morris  visited  Simsbury,  (Bloomfield,)  where 
"  they  are  in  hopes  of  having  a  minister  at  last,  and  have  accord- 
ingly prepared  some  timber  to  build  a  church."  He  arranged 
with  the  other  missionaries  to  assist  him  so  that  Simsbury  might 
be  served  "  eight  times  a  year."  He  agreed  to  attend  Walling- 
ford  three  times  a  year,  "  which  they  seem  satisfied  with,  for 
they  know  it  is  as  much  as  I  can  do." 

In  October,  1743,  Mr.  Beach  speaks  of  attending  about 
twenty  families  at  New  Milford  and  New  Fairfield,  where  he 
goes  several  times  a  year  "  but  seldom  on  the  Lord's  day." 
They  frequently  go  fifteen  miles  to  attend  church  at  Newtown. 

In  April,  1744,  the  Church  wardens  of  Simsbury  write  to 
the  Society  that  they  have  "nothing  so  much  to  object  against 
as  the  want  of  a  settled  minister."  Mr.  Punderson  of  North 
Groton  writes,  "  I  am  at  present  the  only  missionary  in  this  half 
of  the  government  and  part  of  Rhode  Island,"  and  urges  the 
Society  to  fill  the  vacancy  at  New  London  occasioned  by  the 
transfer  of  Mr.  Seabury  to  Long  Island.  Other  removals 
occurred,  so  that  in  1747  Dr.  Johnson  says,  "I  am  now  alone 
here  on  the  sea  coast,  without  one  person  in  orders  besides 
myself  for  more  than  a  hundred  miles."  The  Church  wardens 
of  Litchfield  asked  for  a  missionary  in  1747,  and  say  they  are 
remote  from  all  the  missionaries,  except  the  Rev.  Mr.  Gibbs, 
twenty-seven  miles  away,  and  Rev.  Mr.  Beach,  between  thirty- 
five  and  forty  miles  away. 

In  1756,  the  people  of  Norwich  were  desirous  of  having  a 
missionary,  and  before  they  had  one  the  Mohegan  Indians 
petitioned  the  Society  to  have  this  missionary  give  them  a  share 
of  his  time,  "that  we  may  be  taught  to  go  to  that  good  place 
when  we  die,  as  well  as  the  white  man."  They  would  pay  some- 
thing but  they  could  not  pay  much  save  a  few  oysters,  fish,  etc. 
In  1764  the  Rev.  Mr.  Viets,  missionary  at  Bloomfield,  was 
thirty-five  miles  from  any  other  Episcopal  minister. 

In  1768,  the  Church  wardens  of  Guilford  tell  a  long  story 
about  having  tried  in  vain,  since  1744,  to  have  a  minister  settled 
among  them,  but  could  get  nothing  but  transient  service, 
although  some  came  and  staid  long  enough  to  greatly  encourage 
them,  and  left  soon  enough  to  grievously  disappoint  them. 
They    conclude    as    follows : — "  We    have    labored    under    the 


IN    CONNECTICUT.  59 

greatest  discouragements  for  upwards  of  twenty-three  years 
and  built  a  church,  purchased  a  Glebe  and  "  obtained  everything 
that  we  have  so  "  long  struggled  for  except  the  Society's  patron- 
age." We  "  are  stripped  of  our  minister  and  left  to  mourn 
our  loss,  and  to  be  the  derision  and  scoff  of  the  dissenters." 
They  asked  to  have  Mr.  Tyler,  who  was  going  home  for  orders, 
sent  to  them.  But  still  again  they  were  disappointed,  for  Mr. 
Tyler  came  back  as  missionary  to  Norwich  and  adjoining  parts. 
He  opened  the  church  at  Pomfret,  (Brooklyn,)  April  12,  1771, 
the  last  church  built  in  the  Colony,  and  which  is  now,  (1906,) 
standing.  [Mention  is  made  of  this  old  church  by  the  Rev. 
George  Israel  Browne,  with  illustrations,  in  the  Conn.  Magazine, 
Vol.  X,  p.  69,  etc.]  It  was  built  by  Mr.  Godfrey  Malbone,  an 
ardent  Churchman,  who  for  years  had  without  murmur  paid 
one-eighth  of  all  the  taxes  in  the  parish.  When  he  began,  in 
1769,  to  build  the  church,  there  were  but  two  Churchmen  that 
he  knew  of  besides  himself.  The  Standing  Order  decided  to 
build  a  new  meeting-house,  which  Mr.  Malbone  objected  to  as 
unnecessary,  but  he  was  told  that  they  would  build  it  and  compel 
him  to  pay  for  it.  His  lawyer,  a  Churchman,  advised  him  that 
as  the  laws  stood  he  could  not  help  himself,  unless  the  Episco- 
palians had  a  church  and  minister  of  their  own..  Consequently 
Mr.  Malbone  decided  to  have  both  a  church  and  a  missionary. 
In  October,  1770,  this  Church  was  legalized  by  the  General 
Assembly.  With  a  little  outside  aid  the  building  was  ready, 
as  before  stated,  in  1771.  About  twenty  heads  of  families, 
brought  up  in  the  Dissenting  way,  joined  with  them  before  the 
church  was  completed,  and  more  joined  later,  for  there  was  not 
another  church  nearer  than  Norwich,  twenty-two  miles  away. 
But  the  great  difficulty  which  Mr.  Malbone  encountered  was 
to  get  a  missionary.  He  applied  for  one  in  1769  and  engaged  to 
pay  one  hundred  pounds  annually.  Without  a  minister  settled 
there  the  people  were  bound  by  law  to  pay  for  the  meeting- 
house and  minister's  rate  of  the  Standing  Order.  Failing  to 
have  a  missionary  sent  to  him  by  the  Society,  he  employed  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Moseley,  a  chaplain  in  the  British  Navy,  but  still  they 
were  not  freed  from  taxes  as  the  Dissenters  would  not  admit 
that  Mr.  Moseley  was  "  in  orders  in  accordance  with  the  Canons 
of  the  Church."     In  1772  Mr.  Moseley  withdrew  in  favor  of 


6o  THE    CHURCH 

the  Rev.  Daniel  Fogg,  a  missionary  of  the  S.  P.  G.,  and  then  the 
Churchmen  in  the  parish  of  Brooklyn  were  relieved  from 
further  taxes  to  the  Standing  Order. 

There  never  were  in  the  Colony  half  as  many  missionaries  as 
were  being  earnestly  begged  for,  and  all  the  while  that  this  cry 
for  more  ministers  was  heard  throughout  the  land,  the  Dis- 
senters were  complaining  about  the  S.  P.  G.  sending  ministers 
where  they  were  not  wanted.  Dr.  Blake's  "  Separates  "  of  New 
England  says  that  the  S.  P.  G.  was  a  society  for  aiding  the 
Church  of  England  in  America  and  for  planting  "  its  Churches 
where  the  ground  was  abundantly  occupied  and  supplied  with 
the  ministrations  of  the  Gospel,  though  not  after  the  Episcopal 
order."  The  great  Anti-Episcopal  Convention,  1766  to  1775, 
complained  of  the  S.  P.  G.  for  paying  considerabk  salaries  to 
missionaries  where  the  Convention  thought  they  were  not 
wanted.  There  was  no  minister  of  any  denomination  at  Red- 
ding, when  Mr.  Henry  Caner  first  ministered  to  the  people 
there.  At  the  present  day  it  is  hard  to  realize  how  much  the 
S.  P.  G.  did  for  the  Church  in  Connecticut.  The  Rev.  John 
Beach  in  1743  said:  "  I  bless  God  for  the  pious  care  and  charity 
of  the  venerable  Society  .  .  .  and  had  it  not  been  for  that, 
we  have  reason  to  think  there  would  not  have  been  at  this  day 
as  much  as  one  congregation  in  this  Colony  worshiping  God 
according  to  the  Church  of  England." 

The  missionaries  frequently  represented  to  the  Society  the 
great  want  of  schools  for  the  instruction  of  children  in  the 
principles  of  religion  and  convenient  learning.  The  Society 
from  the  first  paid  salaries  to  several  catechists  and  school 
masters,  particularly  in  tlie  Provinces  of  New  York  and  Massa- 
chusetts. 

The  school  masters  were  to  instruct  the  children  in  reading, 
writing  and  arithmetic,  also  in  the  Catechism,  reading  the  Holy 
Scripture  and  in  the  use  of  the  Prayer  Book.  They  were 
required  to  frequently  consult  and  advise  with  the  ministers ; 
to  take  all  their  scholars  regularly  to  Church,  and  to  teach  them 
to  join  in  the  worship. 

They  were  to  teach  the  children  special  morning  and  evening 
prayers  for  use  in  school,  and  also  for  private  use  at  home; 
a  short  prayer  for  every  child  to  use  when  they  first  come  into 


IN    CONNECTICUT.  6l 

their  seats  at  church  and  before  they  leave  their  seats.  '  Also 
"  A  Grace  before  "  and  "  after  Meat." 

The  first  mention  found  of  a  catechist  in  Connecticut  is  Nov. 
6,  1722,  when  the  Rev.  Mr.  Pigott  asks  to  have  a  French  gentle- 
man of  Fairfield  appointed  as  catechist.  He  refers  to  Dr. 
James  Laborie,  a  Hugenot  who  was  ordained  at  Zurich,  Oct. 
30,  1688.  removed  to  England,  and  was  licensed  by  the  Bishop 
of  London  for  teaching  grammar  and  catechising  in  the  parish 
of  Stepney.  He  officiated  in  several  French  churches  of 
London  for  nine  or  ten  years  and  in  1698  came  to  America  and 
was  settled  in  the  ministry  at  "  New  Oxford",  Mass.,  with  a 
commission  from  Bishop  Compton  to  instruct  the  Indians  there, 
which  he  did  with  great  success.  He  removed  to  New  York 
and  had  charge  of  the  French  Church  there  from  Oct.  15, 
1704,  to  Aug.  25,  1706.  He  then  engaged  in  the  practice  of 
medicine  and  removed  to  Stratford,  Conn,  about  1709.  He  was 
Surgeon  for  the  Colony  at  Wood  Creek,  1709,  and  in  the 
expedition  to  Port  Royal  and  Nova  Scotia,  17 10,  being  also 
Chaplain  on  the  Brigantine  "  Mary."  He  removed  to  Fair- 
field about  1 716.  Here,  without  any  salary,  he  continued  his 
labors  and  began  to  teach  both  Whites  and  Indians.  He  says 
he  was  interrupted  by  Lieut.  Gov.  Nathan  Gold,  "  a  mortal 
enemy  to  the  Church  and  violently  compelled  to  surcease  my 
endeavors  "  on  the  ground  that  "  my  commission  extended  no 
farther  than  Boston  Colony."  After  the  arrival  of  missionary 
Pigott  in  1722,  he  worked  with  him  and  instructed  the  people 
at  his  own  house  on  the  Lord's  Day  when  Mr.  Pigott  could  not 
be  present.  On  Jan.  13,  1723-4,  the  latter  writes  that  "  Dr. 
Laborie's  industry  there,  (Fairfield,)  takes  off  the  present 
necessity  of  a  missionary  for  that  town.  He  is  an  excellent 
preacher,  but  Episcopacy  cuts  off  his  practice  in  physic." 
Although  he  became  a  Churchman,  he  does  not  appear  to  have 
ever  received  Episcopal  ordination.  His  name  is  not  found  in 
the  annual  reports  of  the  S.  P.  G.  and  although  called  a  cate- 
chist his  work  was  in  the  nature  of  a  missionary.  Sometimes 
lay  readers  who  were  preparing  for  the  ministry  were  called 
catechists  when  not  in  the  employ  of  the  S.  P.  G.  This  was 
the  case  with  Mr.  Ebenezer  Thompson  of  Simsbury,  1742.  The 
only  other  record  we  have  of  a  catechist  is  that  Dr.  Johnson 


62  THE    CHURCH 

was  paid  ten  pounds  a  year  for  a  catechist  at  Stratford,  from 
1746  to  1755,  inclusive. 

Rev.  Samuel  Johnson  of  Stratford  writes,  June  23,  1724,  to 
the  Bishop  of  London  "  that  this  town,  and  indeed  the  whole 
colony,  is  destitute  of  any  Episcopal  school,  by  which  means 
our  youth  are  trained  up  in  prejudice  against  the  established 
Church,  and  since  your  Lordship  hath  expressed  so  pious  a  care 
as  to  enquire  concerning  the  state  of  schools,  I  have  been 
encouraged  to  recommend  this  honest  gentleman,  the  bearer 
hereof,  Mr.  Thomas  Salmon,  to  your  Lordship  and  the  honor- 
able Society ;  he  is  one  of  our  Church  wardens  and  is  well  quali- 
fied for  an  English  school  master,  and  hath  kept  the  school  for 
several  years  in  this  town  to  the  universal  satisfaction  of  both 
the  Church  people  and  Dissenters."  It  does  not  appear  that 
he  was  ever  appointed. 

Mr,  Johnson  writes  to  the  Secretary,  Sept,  16,  1726,  that  Mr. 
Henry  Caner  of  Fairfield  "  designs  about  two  years  hence  to 
wait  upon  the  honorable  Society  for  orders  and  a  mission, " 
meanwhile  the  people  would  be  very  thankful  if  the  Society 
would  "  grant  him  a  small  encouragement  for  the  pains  he  takes 
in  instructing  that  people  and  their  children  in  the  principles  of 
religion  as  catechist."  Instead  of  waiting  two  years,  Mr.  Caner 
was  ordained  and  returned  as  missionary  at  Fairfield  within 
a  year.  Mr.  Johnson  writes  Sept.  20,  1727,  that  he  "  should  be 
very  glad  that  the  same  salary  which  was  allowed  to  him,  (Mr. 
Caner,)  as  school  master  at  Fairfield,  might  be  allowed  for  a 
school  in  this  town,  (Stratford,)  where  there  is  great  need  of 
one,  and  it  might  be  of  good  service,  not  only  for  forming  the 
minds  of  children  to  a  sense  of  religion,  but  likewise  for  a 
resort  for  such  young  gentlemen,  successively,  as  from  time 
to  time  leave  the  College  here.  .  .  .  They  might  while 
they  keep  school,  improve  themselves  in  the  study  of  Divinity, 
till  they  are  qualified  for  higher  business."  And  so  Mr.  Caner 
was  paid  a  school  master's  salary  in  remuneration  of  his  ser- 
vices to  the  Church  at  Fairfield  until  he  could  be  appointed  as 
missionary.  His  service  as  schoolmaster  was  less  than  one  year 
and  hence  does  not  appear  in  the  annual  reports  of  the  S.  P.  G. 

In  the  same  letter,  Mr.  Johnson  says,  "  The  Dissenters  have 
two  poor  schools   in  this  town,   but  the   Church  hath   none." 


IN    CONNECTICUT.  63 

Again,  Oct.  23,  1727,  he  says,  in  my  "last  I  informed  the 
Society  of  what  service  it  might  be  to  the  interest  of  religion 
to  have  a  school  here,  and  that  Mr.  Bennett  (who  has  for  above 
half  a  year  kept  school  among  the  Dissenters  here,  and  been 
rejected  by  the  greatest  number  of  them  upon  conformity  to 
our  Church,)  would  be  very  serviceable  and  acceptable,  .  .  . 
We  have  already  raised  nigh  thirty  pounds  per  annum  "  and 
could  give  a  good  support  to  a  school  which  he  asks  for,  as 
"  nothing  could  so  happily  contribute  to  the  enlargement  of  our 
Church. " 

Mr.  Johnson  writes,  Nov.  20,  1729,  that  he  finds  "  in  the 
abstract  of  the  proceedings  of  the  Society  last  year,  mention 
made  of  a  salary  for  a  school  at  Stratford  but  have  never 
received  any  letter  or  otherwise  any  intimation  from  the  Society 
about  it,  .  .  .  However,  I  should  be  very  thankful  if  there 
was  a  salary  appointed  for  that  purpose,  and  there  is  great  need 
of  it,  yet  since  we  want  ministers  more  of  the  two,  than  school 
masters,  I  would  not  desire  that  the  providing  for  a  school 
should  stand  in  the  way  of  providing  missionaries." 

An  anonymous  letter  dated  Stratford,  Oct.  30,  1727,  was  sent 
to  the  Bishop  of  London,  discouraging  the  school.  It  purported 
to  have  been  written  in  the  interest  of  Churchmen  and  claimed 
that  a  school  would  be  "  a  prejudice  and  a  wrong  to  us,  "  by 
disturbing  the  "  friendship  between  us  and  the  committee  of  the 
schools,"  who  now  employ  "  a  man  of  our  persuasion  in  one  " 
of  the  schools.  Mr.  Bennett  was  not  appointed,  but  finally  the 
prayer  for  a  school  master  at  Stratford  was  granted  and  Mr. 
Johnson  writes  to  the  Bishop  of  London,  Dec.  10,  1733,  thank- 
ing him  for  his  '*  interest  with  the  honourable  Society  for  set- 
tling a  school  in  this  place.  "  The  school  at  Stratford  was  prac- 
tically the  first  sectarian  school  for  general  education  ever  set 
up  in  the  Colony,  aside  from  the  schools  of  the  Standing  Order. 
All  the  public  schools  of  the  Colony  were  controlled  by 
ecclesiastical  societies  of  the  Standing  Order,  although  other 
denominations  were  permitted  to  vote.  Episcopalians  could 
have  no  vote  on  school  matters  without  attending  the  meetings 
of  the  Congregational  Societies.  In  the  report  of  the  S.  P.  G. 
for  the  year  1733,  Mr.  Joseph  Brown  is  put  down  as  "School 
Master  "  at  Stratford  with  a  salary  of  fifteen  pounds  per  annum, 


64  THE    CHURCH 

and  he  is  so  reported  for  twenty-one  consecutive  years.  Mr. 
Brown  was  one  of  the  vestrymen  of  Christ  Church  and  sub- 
scribed thirty  pounds  for  building  the  church  in  1742-3. 

On  the  first  Monday  in  February,  1733-4,  the, Rev.  Samuel 
Johnson,  in  behalf  of  the  members  of  the  Church  of  England 
in  Stratford,  asked  for  liberty  to  erect  a  "  School  House  on  the 
Common  near  the  southeast  corner  of  Lieut.  Joseph  Beach'es 
house  lot,"  and  the  town  voted  to  grant  his  request.  [Orcutt's 
Stratford,  Vol.  i,  p.  322.]  Probably  the  house  was  built  and 
this  is  where  Mr.  Brown  taught. 

In  May,  1728,  a  law  was  passed  requiring  the  Treasurer  of 
the  Colony  to  "  deliver  the  sum  of  forty  shillings  upon  every 
thousand  pounds  in  the  list  of  the  respective  towns  "  to  the 
school  committee  of  the  said  towns  "  to  be  by  them  distributed  to 
the  several  parishes  or  societies  in  each  town  for  the  benefit  of 
their  respective  schools.  " 

In  October,  1737,  a  law  was  passed  permitting  certain  school 
funds  to  be  appropriated  "  to  the  support  of  the  Gospel  minis- 
try, as  by  the  laws  of  this  Colony  established."  This  of  course 
all  went,  said  Dr.  Johnson,  to  support  ministers  of  the  "  Presby- 
terian or  Congregational  persuasion,  (being  those  that  are 
peculiarly  countenanced  by  the  Laws  of  this  Government,)  to 
be  divided  in  proportion  to  their  several  lists  and  this  in  such 
manner  that  we  of  the  Church  of  England  cannot  lay  claim 
to  any  share  of  them  for  the  support  of  our  Ministers  or 
Schools." 

By  reason  of  these  laws,  a  long  memorial,  drafted  by  Dr. 
Johnson,  was  presented  to  the  General  Court  at  their  May 
session,  1738,  praying  "  that  we  may  be  secured  of  our  propor- 
tion of  those  public  monies  toward  the  support  o£  our  Ministers 
&  that  our  schools  also,  where  we  have  any  peculiar  to  our- 
selves, may  have  their  proportional  benefit  of  the  said  act,  as 
also  the  40  shillings  on  the  £1000,  which  has  hitherto  been 
denied  to  the  School  of  the  Church  of  England  at  Stratford. " 
[Ecclesiastical  Mss.,  Vol.  10,  Doc.  324.]  The  objectionable 
law  was  repealed  in  1740.  This  memorial  gives  us  positive 
proof  that  there  was,  in  1738,  an  Episcopal  school  at  Stratford, 
which  was  of  such  a  general  educational  character  as  to  warrant 
a  demand  for  their  share  of  "  the  40  shillings  on  the  iiooo  ", 
given  for  public  schools. 


IN    CONNECTICUT,  65 

Mr.  Richard  Caner  appears  in  the  annual  reports  for  the 
years  ending  February,  1740  and  February,  1741,  as  "  School 
Master  at  Fairfield."  In  November,  1739  he  reported  thirty 
scholars.  In  the  report  for  1742  he  was  reported  as  missionary, 
thus  showing  that  his  salary  as  school  master  was  in  remunera- 
tion for  missionary  work.  In  1742,  the  Rev.  Timothy  Allen 
was  conducting  a  school  at  New  London  known  as  "  The  Shep- 
perd's  Tent "  and  which  was  designed  for  educating  young 
men  to  become  exhorters,  etc.,  for  the  so-called  New  Lights. 
An  act  passed  in  October,  1742,  (and  said  to  have  been  aimed 
at  these  "New  Lights",)  imposed  heavy  penalties  upon  any 
one  who  should  teach,  keep,  or  maintain  "  any  public  school 
whatsoever, "  other  than  as  ''  established  or  allowed  "  by  law. 
This  law,  (which  was  enacted  for  four  years  only,)  was  broad 
enough  to  have  suppressed  the  Episcopal  school  at  Stratford,  but 
the  authorities  do  not  appear  to  have  had  any  desire  to  do  so. 

The  school  was  finally  discontinued  at  the  request  of  Dr. 
Johnson,  as  appears  from  his  letter  to  the  Society  dated  April 
14,  175 1,  stating  "  that,  as  it  is  now  much  less  charity  to  provide 
for  a  school  in  this  town  than  heretofore,  "  and  "  Mr.  Brown 
tells  me  he  is  willing  to  resign  " ,  he  advises  the  Society  to 
appoint  a  missionary  for  Ripton  in  place  of  the  school  master  at 
Stratford. 

Mr.  Hutchinson  appears  in  the  reports  of  the  S.  P.  G.  as 
school  master  at  North  Groton,  (Ledyard,)  from  1745  to  1764 
inclusive.  A  school  master  whose  name  is  not  given  was  paid 
for  work  among  the  Narragansett  Indians  from  1767  to  1777, 
inclusive.  On  June  5,  1765,  the  Rev.  Matthew  Graves  of  New 
London  recommends  "  to  the  care  of  the  Religious  Society  " 
for  a  school  master  "  Mr.  Bennett,  the  school  master  among  the 
Mohawks,"  who  designs  "  to  return  when  the  small  pox  is 
abated.  "  The  Digest  of  the  Reports  of  the  S.  P.  G.  says  that 
Cornelius  Bennett  of  the  Mohawk  mission.  New  York,  labored 
among  the  Narragansett  Indians  for  a  short  time. 

On  June,  1770,  Dr.  Johnson  writes  the  Secretary  from  his 
old  home  at  Stratford,  thanking  him  for  ordering  Mr.  Somas- 
ters  to  be  placed  at  Stratford,  and  says :  "  This  happily  falls  in 
with  a  design  I  have  entertained  of  holding  a  little  Academy, 
or  resource  for  young  students  of  Divinity  to  prepare  them  for 


66  THE    CHURCH 

Holy  Orders.  Have  now  four,  Marshall,  Fingley,  Perry  and 
Jones.  Marshall  will  go  next  fall  to  Woodbury.  This  I  shall 
continue  while  I  live  with  the  assistance  of  Mr.  Kneeland." 
Mr.  Somaster's  name  is  not  found  in  the  annual  reports  of  the 
S.  P.  G.  No  doubt  the  Somaster's  Library  which  was  trans- 
ferred from  the  Church  at  Stratford  to  the  Episcopal  Academy 
at  Cheshire  and  then  back  again  to  Stratford,  originally 
belonged  to  this  teacher.  The  foregoing  account  includes  all 
the  Episcopal  schools  in  Colonial  Connecticut  of  which  we  have 
any  record. 

Referring  again  to  the  laws  of  the  Colony,  a  fine  of  20  shil- 
lings was  imposed  by  the  law  of  1721,  on  those  who  should 
assemble  in  any  public  meeting-house  without  the  consent  of  the 
minister  and  congregation.  This  made  it  more  difficult  for  the 
Episcopalians  to  get  permission  to  use  the  meeting-houses  which 
they  had  helped  to  build. 

The  poorer  Churches  of  the  Standing  Order  were  also 
favored  by  having  their  county  rates  remitted  to  them  or  by 
otherwise  receiving  substantial  aid  from  the  Colony.  In  1728 
the  county  rates  were  remitted  to  the  parish  of  Redding,  where 
Mr.  Caner  had  preached  when  there  was  "  no  minister  of  any 
denomination  whatsoever  "  there,  and  this  favor  was  continued 
for  twenty  years  or  more.  In  October,  1730,  the  Society  of 
Horse  Neck,  (Greenwich,)  petitioned  the  General  Court  for 
aid,  saying  that  "  of  our  small  number  not  a  few  have  listed 
themselves  under  the  banner  prelatical  and  also  not  a  few  under 
the  banner  of  yea  and  nay  and  how  far  the  leaven  may  spread  we 
fear  more  than  we  are  sure  of."  The  county  rates  collected  in 
the  town  of  Greenwich  for  the  year  1730,  (from  Episcopalians 
and  others,)  were  ordered  to  be  paid  over  to  the  treasurer  of 
this  Congregational  parish. 

We  have  already  referred  to  the  withdrawal  of  two  ministers 
in  succession  and  many  of  the  people  from  the  societies  of  the 
Standing  Order  at  North  Groton  and  West  Haven,  The  for- 
mer asked  for  aid  in  1734  and  fifty  pounds  was  granted  them. 
West  Haven  petitioned  for  aid  in  1735,  showing  "  the  broken 
circumstances  of  said  parish  by  reason  of  their  ministers  one 
after  another  declaring  themselves  to  be  of  the  Church  of  Eng- 
land principles  and  carrying  from  them  considerable  estate  and 


IN    CONNECTICUT.  67 

inhabitants,  whereby  they  are  incapable  to  maintain  the  gospel." 
A  committee  was  appointed  to  investigate.  [Ecclesiastical 
Mss.,  Vol.  10,  Docs.  51  and  271.]  Many  other  places  were 
granted  favors  and  their  memorials  asking  for  aid  appear  in 
the  archives  of  the  State.  They  often  give  the  number  of 
inhabitants  in  their  respective  parishes  with  a  statement  of  how 
many  Episcopalians,  Baptists  or  Quakers  they  had  in  order  to 
show  how  the  ranks  of  the  Standing  Order  had  been  diminished. 

We  have  before  referred  to  the  money  appropriated  for 
schools  being  refused  the  Episcopal  school  at  Stratford,  and  to 
the  school  funds  belonging  to  the  State,  (including  the  Episco- 
palians,) being  devoted  to  the  support  of  the  Gospel  ministry 
for  the  Standing  Order,  without  giving  any  portion  of  it  to 
the  Churchmen.  The  lengthy  memoral  of  1738,  in  protest  of 
these  practices,  is  very  interesting  reading.  It  gives  numerous 
reasons  as  to  why  the  Churchmen  should  receive  their  "propor- 
tion in  the  said  public  monies ",  the  first  reason  being  as 
follows : 

"  Because  the  Doctrines  and  Principles  of  the  Church  of 
England  do  professedly  and  most  certainly  tend,  (at  least 
equally  with  those  of  any  other  persuasion,)  not  only  to  fit  and 
prepare  men  for  eternal  happiness  in  the  life  to  come,  but  also 
to  promote  the  public  good  of  society  in  this  world,  by  teaching 
them  to  be  sober,  virtuous  and  industrious  in  their  callings, 
serious  and  devout  towards  God  and  just  and  charitable  towards 
men,  and  in  every  respect  to  be  good  Christians,  kind  neighbors, 
upright  magistrates,  dutiful  subjects  and  faithful  and  conscien- 
tious in  every  relation  and  condition  of  life,  and  consequently 
Her  professors  ought  to  have  the  like  equitable  and  favorable 
treatment  with  those  of  any  other  denomination  of  Christians." 

It  closes  with  a  prayer  for  equal  rights  and  then  says :  "  In 
hopes  of  which,  (as  in  duty  bound,)  we  shall  ever  pray  for  the 
health  and  happiness  of  your  Honors  and  all  the  members  of 
this  Assembly  and  for  the  peace  and  prosperity  of  this  Colony." 

The  memorial  was  signed,  (so  says  the  document,)  "  to  the 
number  of  about  636."  [Ecclesiastical  Mss.,  Vol.  10,  324.] 
We  thus  have  the  autographs  of  nearly  all  the  Episcopalians 
over  16  years  of  age  residing  in  the  Colony  in  1738.  Dr. 
Johnson  says  more  names  could  have  been  added  if  there  had 


68  THE    CHURCH 

been  time.  The  names  are  arranged  as  from  Greenwich  and 
Stamford  under  Rev.  Mr.  Wetmore ;  of  Groton  under  Rev. 
Mr.  Punderson ;  of  New  London  under  Rev.  Mr.  Seabury ;  of 
Hebron  under  Rev.  Mr.  Seabury ;  under  Rev.  Mr.  Arnold ; 
under  Rev.  Mr.  Beach ;  under  Rev.  Mr.  Johnson  of  Stratford ; 
and  under  Rev.  Mr.  Caner  at  Norwalk  and  Fairfield.  Nothing- 
was  granted. 

The  law  as  to  attendance  upon  the  worship  of  the  Standing 
Order  was  of  course  applicable  to  Churchmen  who  did  not 
attend  a  service  of  their  own,  but  we  do  not  think  that  it  was 
generally  enforced  against  them.  Mr.  Morris,  in  1740,  writes 
that  two  warrants  were  issued  before  his  time  "  to  take  up  two 
men  in  Waterbury  for  not  attending  their  meetings,  and  when 
one  of  them  offered  to  give  his  reasons  why  he  could  not  go  to 
their  extempore  prayers  he  was  silenced  and  ordered  to  prison 
or  pay  his  fine."  Under  the  law  the  accused  could  be  fined 
unless  he  should  "  make  it  appear  that  he  did  attend  .  .  . 
or  was  necessarily  detained  therefrom."  Mr,  Beach  writes,  in 
1743,  that  the  people  of  New  Fairfield  when  they  had  no 
preaching  on  the  Lord's  day  meet  together  "  and  one  of  their 
number  reads  some  part  of  the  Common  Prayer  and  a  sermon  " 
and  that  they  were  "  lately  prosecuted  and  fined  .  .  .  for 
their  meeting  to  worship  God  according  to  the  Common 
Prayer." 

"  The  case  of  these  people  is  very  hard,  if  on  the  Lord's  day 
they  continue  at  home,  they  must  be  punished ;  if  they  meet 
to  worship  God  according  to  the  Church  of  England,  in  the  best 
manner  they  can,  their  mulct  is  still  greater,  and  if  they  go 
to  Independent  meeting  they  must  hear  the  Church  vilified.  " 

They  could  have  been  lawfully  prosecuted  for  staying  at 
home,  or  for  leaving  home  except  to  worship  "  in  some  Con- 
gregation by  law  allowed  "  ,  or  in  "  some  place  by  law  allowed 
for  that  end."  After  1727,  every  Church  of  England  congrega- 
tion and  place  of  worship  was  "  by  law  allowed "  ,  but  by  a 
narrow  construction  of  the  law,  a  private  house  with  service 
by  a  lay  reader,  might  have  been  held  not  to  be  a  place  or  con- 
gregation allowed  by  law,  inasmuch  as  the  law  of  1727  legalized 
the  societies  of  the  Church  of  England  only  "  where  there  is  a 
person  in  orders   according  to  the   canons  "of  that  Church 


IN    CONNECTICUT.  69 

"  settled  and  abiding  among  them."  There  was  no  such  minis- 
ter at  New  Fairfield  and  hence  the  laws  which  were  passed  in 
1 72 1,  to  prevent  noisy  itinerant  persons,  who  had  no  authority 
whatever  to  preach,  from  preaching  in  private  houses  and  on 
the  streets,  were  made  to  do  duty  against  this  devout  band  who 
from  necessity  were  without  a  minister.  This  is  the  only  in- 
stance we  have  found  of  prosecuting  those  who  attended  Prayer 
Book  service  by  a  lay  reader,  and  perhaps  this  circumstance  was 
the  cause  of  adding  the  proviso  to  these  laws  in  1750:  "  That 
this  act  shall  not  be  taken  or  construed  to  hinder  the  meeting 
of  such  Persons  upon  any  Religious  Occasion.  " 

The  law  of  1740  forbade  "  any  person  not  a  settled  and 
ordained  minister  "  from  holding  services  in  any  parish  without 
being  expressly  invited  by  the  minister  of  the  parish,  and  in 
1767  the  Rev.  Mr.  Boardman  of  Middle  Haddam  unsuccess- 
fully tried  to  use  this  law  to  keep  Episcopal  ministers  out  of 
his  parish. 

The  most  serious  grievance  the  Churchmen  had  was  the 
failure  of  the  law  of  1727,  or  any  other  law,  to  give  relief  from 
taxes  for  the  Standing  Order.  Such  relief  was  asked  continu- 
ously from  1727  until  1775. 

The  first  relief  from  ecclesiastical  taxes  of  the  Standing 
Order  came  from  New  London  in  1726,  when  the  rates  of  all 
other  denominations  in  that  town  were  paid  by  voluntary  con- 
tributions. This  was  continued  for  three  years  and  in  Octo- 
ber, 1729  the  selectmen  of  New  London  petitioned  the  General 
Court  for  permission  to  leave  out  of  "  the  minister's  rate  "  all 
those  who  are  of  the  Church  of  England,  the  First  and  Seventh- 
day  Baptists,  and  some  "  which  we  call  Quakers."  The  peti- 
tion was  granted  in  the  Lower  House  provided  that  persons 
so  exempted  cannot  vote  in  "  Society  Meetings, "  but  it  was 
dissented  from  in  the  Upper  House. 

As  to  relief  under  the  laws  of  1727,  Missionary  Punderson 
writes  in  1750,  that  the  law  is  "  expressed  in  such  limited  and 
ambiguous  terms  as  to  be  the  occasion  of  many  disputes  and 
difficulties  to  the  messengers  of  peace  to  whose  care  they 
belong."  There  is  no  doubt  but  that  many  Episcopalians  were 
released  from  taxes  that  could  not  have  been  released  had  the 
law  been  strictly  and  rigidly  enforced.     It  was  the  general  rule 


70  THE    CHURCH 

that  collectors  accepted  certificates  of  the  missionaries  as  to  the 
payment  of  rates,  the  same  as  if  they  had  themselves  collected 
them  and  paid  them  over  to  the  missionary,  provided  the  amount 
so  paid  was  equal  to  the  tax  assessed  and  that  no  question  other 
than  such  payment  was  involved.  After  1728,  there  was  no 
trouble  within  those  parishes  where  the  missionaries  resided. 
No  matter  how  long  a  society  had  been  organized,  nor  how 
large  a  parish  they  had,  if  no  missionary  abided  among  them 
they  were  by  law  compelled  to  pay  rates  to  the  Standing  Order, 
while  under  the  law  these  rates  were  always  assessed  even  when 
the  Standing  Order  had  no  minister  to  support.  Under  date 
of  March  30,  1750,  Dr.  Johnson  writes  to  the  Secretary  that 
"  the  people  must  be  forced  to  pay  the  dissenters  till  they  have 
ministers  of  their  own  in  orders."  That  the  law  was  so  con- 
strued has  also  been  stated  by  missionaries  Gibbs,  Graves,  Pun- 
derson  and  others,  some  of  whom  had  been  advised  by  lawyers 
who  were  Churchmen.  The  minister's  rates  for  the  Standing 
Order  that  was  paid  over  about  1763  to  Missionary  Winslow 
at  Stratford  amounted  to  thirty  pounds  sterling  per  annum. 
Missionaries  Gibbs,  Wetmore  and  others  sued  collectors  of  the 
Standing  Order  for  the  rates  of  their  parishioners  outside  of 
the  parish  where  the  missionary  resided,  and  in  each  case  were 
defeated.  Mr.  Gibbs  refused  to  pay  the  cost  and  was  put  in 
jail  according  to  law,  and  so  barbarously  treated  by  the  officer 
who  took  him  to  Hartford,  that  he  was  incapacitated  for  life. 
The  cases  of  Episcopalians  put  in  jail  for  non-payment  of  eccle- 
siastical taxes  of  the  Standing  Order  are  too  numerous  to  men- 
tion. The  people  of  Wallingford  about  1740,  or  before,  peti- 
tioned for  redress  to  the  Governor,  who  had  proved  a  strong 
opponent  to  them,  and  they  say  that  "  when  the  other  party  hath 
applied  to  him  for  advice  how  to  proceed  against  us,  he  hath 
lately  given  his  sentence  to  enlarge  the  gaol  and  fill  it  with 
them"  (that  is,  fill  it  with  Churchmen).  They  even  followed 
a  Churchman  for  ecclesiastical  taxes  after  he  was  dead.  The 
Society  of  North  Guilford  laid  taxes  for  building  the  meeting- 
house in  1748  and  for  minister's  support  for  four  years  against 
Samuel  Fowler  "  a  Professor  of  ye  Church  of  England  "  ,  but 
failed  to  collect  the  same  in  his  lifetime.  They  sued  his  execu- 
tors in  the  New  Haven  County  Court  and  it  was  decided  that 


IN    CONNECTICUT.  7 1 

action  did  not  lye  against  them.  A  special  act  was  passed  by 
the  General  Assembly  in  1753  to  enable  these  taxes  to  be  col- 
lected from  the  estate.     [Colonial  Records,  Vol.  X,  p.  182.] 

In  1738,  forty-one  Churchmen  of  Greenwich  and  Stamford 
who  attended  worship  in  the  borders  of  New  York  petitioned 
for  exemption  and  were  refused,  although  such  exemption  was 
granted  to  Connecticut  Quakers  who  worshipped  in  the  borders 
of  New  York.  In  1740,  Samuel  Johnson,  J.  Wetmore,  Henry 
Caner,  John  Beach,  Jon.  Arnold,  Samuel  Seabury  and  Ebenezer 
Punderson,  ministers  of  the  Church  of  England,  renewed  their 
petition  for  relief.  In  1742,  twenty-seven  Churchmen  of  Sims- 
bury  petitioned  for  exemption  and  organization.  In  1743, 
forty-five  Churchmen  of  Simsbury  renewed  this  petition.  In 
1744,  thirty-eight  Churchmen  of  Waterbury  petitioned  for 
relief.  In  1745,  thirty-three  Churchmen  of  Redding  petitioned 
for  relief.  In  1748,  thirty-eight  Churchmen  of  Redding 
renewed  their  petition,  reciting  the  favor  that  the  General  Court 
had  extended  to  the  Presbyterians  of  Redding  for  twenty  years, 
and  "  disclaiming  any  suspicion  that  the  Assembly  will  be 
partial  or  their  charity  confined  to  Christians  of  one  denomina- 
tion to  the  exclusion  of  all  others.  Nor  can  we  suppose  that 
their  wisdom  will  account  our  worshiping  God  in  the  manner 
established  in  our  mother  country  such  a  crime  as  to  forfeit  and 
render  us  unworthy  of  enjoying  for  a  short  season  that  charity 
which  our  fellow  parishioners  have  ever  and  do  enjoy."  Nega- 
tived in  both  houses.  [Ecclesiastical  Mss.,  Vol.  10,  Docs.  334, 
336,  337,  339,  340  and  341.]  Other  petitions  of  a  similar 
character  failed  to  receive  any  favor. 

The  missionaries  and  others  complain  that  "  it  is  found  by 
repeated  experiments,  that  a  poor  Churchman  can  expect  no 
redress  in  any  court  here ;  "  that,  "  the  Independents  by  force 
and  under  pretence  of  authority,  have  carried  away  our  estates, 
to  support  their  teachers,  to  build  their  meeting  houses  and  to 
procure  their  parsonages,  "  that  "  The  Church  people,  your 
Lordship's  sons,  are  imprisoned,  arrested  and  non-suited  with 
prodigious  cost,  contrary  to  the  laws  of  God  and  man  ;  .  .  . 
a  cruel  injustice  and  usurpation  imposed  on  no  other  society;" 
that  they  are  "totally  discouraged  and  discredited"  but  "had 
our  religion  the  same  privileges  throughout  this  Colony,  that 


72  THE    CHURCH 

the  Baptists  have,  we  would  flourish  and  increase  like  the  lily 
of  the  valley  and  the  cedars  of  Lebanon.  "  Complaints  of  this 
character,  it  is  said,  arrived  in  London  almost  with  every  ship. 
The  complaints  about  unfair  decisions  and  biased  judges  came 
largely  through  a  belief  that  the  law  of  1727  was  for  the  relief 
of  Churchmen,  whereby  relief  was  expected  in  cases  for  which 
the  law  gave  no  relief.  As  the  Colony  laws  were  framed,  we 
do  not  know  of  a  decision  as  to  taxes  that  was  improperly 
lendered  against  Churchmen.  Missionary  Punderson  had 
grievances,  but  was  advised  by  a  lawyer  who  was  a  Churchman 
that  he  had  no  case.  However  unjust  the  law  may  seem  to 
have  been,  its  enforcement  did  not  show  that  antagonism  to 
Episcopacy  that  was  shown  at  Stratford  in  the  early  days  of  the 
Church.  Missionary  Caner  says,  in  1733,  that  "the  spirit  and 
temper  of  the  people  formerly  so  hot  against  us  very  much 
abates  and  that  they  begin  to  treat  us  in  a  much  more  friendly 
manner  than  they  were  wont."  Missionary  Seabury  says,  in 
^735>  that  "the  dissenting  party  are  very  civil  and  obliging  to 
me."  Missionary  Punderson  says,  in  1739,  that  the  dissenting 
brethren,  many  of  them,  "  are  brought  to  have  a  good  opinion  " 
of  the  Church  "  and  occasionally  attend  our  worship."  Mis- 
sionary Johnson  says,  in  1746,  that  "  there  seems  a  very  grow- 
ing disposition  towards  the  Church  in  the  town  of  New  Haven 
as  well  as  the  College."  In  1746  there  was  no  dissenting  minis- 
ter at  Stamford  and  Missionary  Dibblee  was  given  the  use  of 
the  meeting-house,  where  the  people  of  all  sorts  generally 
attended  when  he  preached  there.  Missionary  Hubbard,  in 
1772,  says :  "  I  have  the  happiness  to  see  the  greatest  unanimity' 
reigning  amongst  us  and  the  denominations  with  whom  we 
live."  Missionary  Beach  says :  "  The  rising  generation  of  the 
Independents  seem  to  be  entirely  free  from  every  pique  and 
prejudice  against  the  Church." 

In  1752,  the  law  makers  began  to  look  upon  Episcopalians 
with  more,  favor  when  special  privileges  were  granted  to  the 
Churchmen  of  Newtown.  The  parishioners  of  Trinity  Church. 
Fairfield  in  1761,  those  of  St.  John's  Church,  New  Milford, 
and  of  the  Church  in  Brooklyn  in  1770,  were  incorporated  in 
Church  estate  by  acts  of  the  General  Court,  with  substantially 
the  same  rights  as  Churches  of  the  Standing  Order.    No  other 


IN    CONNECTICUT.  73 

favors  were  granted  until  1784,  when  it  was  enacted  that  upon 
filing  a  proper  certificate  and  attending  church,  all  Churchmen 
could  be  relieved  from  paying  Congregational  taxes.  Before 
this  more  than  half  of  all  the  Churchmen  in  the  Colony  were 
compelled  to  pay  double  taxes. 

One  of  the  most  unreasonable  accusations  ever  made  against 
the  Churchmen  of  the  Colony  was  that  imputing  to  them  the 
insincerity  of  being  Churchmen  for  the  sake  of  smaller  taxes. 
And  strange  to  say,  these  charges  sometimes  came  from 
Churchmen,  instead  of  their  enemies. 

The  first  record  found  of  such  a  charge  is  in  the  letter  of 
missionary  Philips  to  the  Society,  dated  Sept.  9,  1713,  excusing 
himself  for  leaving  Stratford  so  abruptly,  and  in  which  he  says 
that  he  found  "  the  greatest  part  of  those  who  pretended  to  be 
of  the  Church  way  were  only  so  to  screen  themselves  from 
taxes  imposed  on  them  by  Dissenters."  On  Dec.  i,  1725,  Gov. 
Talcott  of  Connecticut  wrote  to  the  Bishop  of  London,  saying 
that  there  are  some  few  persons,  outside  of  Stratford  "  who 
cannot  well  be  judged  to  act  from  any  other  motive  than  to 
appear  singular,  or  to  be  freed  from  a  small  tax,  and  hence 
have  declared  themselves  to  be  of  the  Church  of  England." 
Prior  to  1727,  the  particular  denomination  of  Christians  a 
person  belonged  to,  or  did  not  belong  to,  made  no  difference 
whatever  as  to  the  amount  of  his  taxes  to  the  Standing  Order, 
and  hence  it  is  utterly  inconceivable  how  these  charges  could 
have  then  been  made.  After  the  law  of  1727  which  purported 
to  grant  relief,  the  charge  does  not  seem  so  strange,  but  was 
still  unreasonable.  It  was  often  made  by  people  who  ought 
to  have  known  better,  as  for  example  the  Rev.  Elizur  Good- 
rich of  Durham,  who  in  his  report  on  Connecticut  to  the  Anti- 
Episcopal  Convention  in  the  year  1774,  says  of  Episcopalians 
that  their  ministers  "  as  may  be  feared  sometimes  beguile  them 
with  promises  of  discharging  their  rates,  if  they  become 
Churchmen."  It  is  true  that  some  men  will  do  mean  things  in 
order  to  lessen  their  taxes,  but  when  there  is  no  possible  chance 
for  one  to  accomplish  that  object  there  is  no  reason  for  imput- 
ing to  them  any  such  motive.  All  persons  throughout  the 
Colony  were  assessed  alike  without  regard  to  what  denomina- 
tion they  belonged.     Episcopalians,  under  the  law,  were  com- 


74  THE    CHURCH 

pelled  to  pay  this  assessment  and  no  collector  would  cancel  their 
rate  until  he  knew  that  it  had  been  paid  in  full.  The  amount 
was  the  same  whether  the  rate  went  to  the  Congregational  or 
Episcopal  minister,  so  that  it  was  utterly  impossible  for  any  one 
to  reduce  the  amount  of  their  ecclesiastical  taxes  by  being  a 
Churchman,  even  when  they  had  the  full  benefit  of  exemption 
from  taxes  to  the  Standing  Order.  But  only  a  few  Churchmen 
could  have  this  exemption,  so  that  most  of  them  paid  double 
rates  for  the  privilege  of  being  Churchmen,  one  rate  to  the 
Church  and  one  rate  to  the  Standing  Order.  The  Standing 
Order  was  large  and  strong,  and  received  substantial  aid  from 
the  Government,  while  the  Church  was  small  and  weak  and 
received  aid  from  a  charitable  society  that  helped  only  those 
who  helped  themselves.  Consequently  the  demands  of  the 
Church  on  its  members  were  greater  than  those  of  the  Standing 
Order  even  when  Church  rates  only  were  paid,  so  that  it  cost 
more  to  belong  to  the  Church  than  it  did  to  be  a  sinner,  or 
belong  to  the  Standing  Order.  The  Rev.  John  Beach  of  New- 
town and  Redding  writes  to  the  Society  in  1746  that  "it  is  very 
certain  that  our  people  generally  expend  more  by  far  for  the 
support  of  religion  than  their  neighbors  of  the  dissenting  per- 
suasion. "  He  also  certifies  to  this  before  the  General  Court  in 
1748,  as  to  the  members  of  the  Church  at  Redding  and  also  that 
he  holds  "  in  the  utmost  indignation  "  any  "  insincerity  in  mat- 
ters of  religion  in  order  to  save  purses.  "  The  taxes  raised  by 
the  Standing  Order  from  non-professors  and  from  professors 
of  all  denominations,  together  with  other  benefits  from  the 
Government,  made  the  religion  of  that  order,  in  a  financial 
sense,  the  cheapest  religion  in  the  Colony  and  consequently  it 
was  the  only  religion  of  which  a  person's  motive  for  adoption 
could  be  reasonably  imputed  to  a  desire  to  save  purses. 

The  law  under  which  the  Dissenting  minister  of  Middle 
Haddam  attempted  to  keep  the  Episcopal  ministers  out  of  his 
parish  was  made  in  1742  to  suppress  the  great  number  of 
vagrant  preachers  and  sundry  illiterate  persons  that  appeared 
after  the  coming  of  Whitefield,  and  some  of  which  had  no 
authority  whatever  as  preachers.  Missionary  Punderson  of 
New  London  wrote  in  December,  1741,  that  "there  are  at  least 
twenty  or  thirty  of  these  lay  holders-forth  within  ten  miles  of 


IN    CONNECTICUT.  75 

my  house,  who  hold  their  meetings  every  night  except  Satur- 
day. "  Even  Whitefield's  preaching  was  not  pleasant  to  many, 
as  is  shown  by  a  letter  of  six  members  of  the  Church  in  Ply- 
mouth, 1744,  who  were  formerly  Dissenters,  but  who  say  they 
"  fled  to  the  Church  of  England  "  after  reading  the  Prayer 
Book  and  hearing  Whitefield's  "  extemporaneous  jargon.  " 
Several  missionaries  write  in  substance  that  the  wild  enthusiasm 
drove  many  Dissenters  into  the  Church. 

In  1742,  there  were  fourteen  churches  built  and  building,  and 
seven  clergymen.  When  Dr.  Johnson  came  to  Stratford  there 
"  were  not  one  hundred  adult  persons  of  the  Church  in  this 
whole  Colony,  whereas  now  (1742,)  there  are  considerably 
more  than  two  thousand,  and  at  least  five  or  six  thousand  young 
and  old. "  At  the  commencement  at  New  Haven  in  1748, 
"  there  were  nine  of  our  Clergy  together  "  there  and  "  among 
the  candidates  for  their  degrees  there  were  no  less  than  ten 
belonging  to  our  Church." 

At  the  beginning  of  1756  there  were  twelve  missionaries  of 
the  S.  P.  G.  in  the  Colony.  In  1760,  Dr.  Johnson  says  there 
were  thirty  Churches  in  the  Colony,  though  but  fourteen  minis- 
ters. President  Stiles'  sermon  on  Christian  Union  of  the  same 
date  gives  twenty-five  parishes  and  fourteen  ministers.  In 
1761,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Beach  says  that  in  twenty-nine  years  the 
Church  "  is  increased  more  than  from  one  to  ten,  and  what  is  of 
much  greater  importance,  their  conduct  for  the  most  part,  is  a 
credit  to  their  profession "  and  is  also  an  advantage  to  the 
"  Independents,  for  they  who  live  near  to  the  Church  of  Eng- 
land acquire  juster  notions  of  religion  and  become  more  regular 
in  their  worship.  "  In  1766,  Mr.  Viets  said  that  *'  the  propor- 
tion of  Church  people  to  the  Dissenters  in  Simsbury  is  nearly  as 
one  to  three."  In  1768,  he  writes  that  "  there  are  52  Congre- 
gational ministers  in  this  County,  viz.,  Hartford,  (which  then 
included  Middletown,  the  Haddams,  Chatham,  Colchester,  Bol- 
ton, Somers,  Tolland,  Willington,  Hebron  and  Stafford).  In 
all  the  four  New  England  Colonies  there  are  586  Congrega- 
tional ministers,  38  of  the  Church  Clergy,  39  Anabaptists,  10 
Presbyterians,  30  Quaker  assemblies  and  about  50  congrega- 
tions of  those  called  Separatists,  somewhat  resembling  the  old 
Independents.  " 


76  THE    CHURCH 

In  1769,  Mr.  Beach  says:  "There  are  in  these  two  parishes, 
(Newtown  and  Redding,)  about  2400  souls  of  whom  a  Httle 
more  than  half  profess  the  Church  of  England.  Here  are 
about  50  negros  most  of  whom  have  been  baptized.  Here  are 
no  heathens  or  infidels,  no  Papists  or  Deists. "  Of  Newtown, 
he  says :  "  It  is  of  some  satisfaction  to  me  to  observe  that  in 
this  town  of  late  in  our  elections,  the  Church  people  make  the 
major  vote,  which  is  the  first  instance  of  this  kind  in  the 
Colony,  if  not  in  all  New  England. " 

In  the  annual  report  of  the  S.  P.  G.  for  1777,  the  missionaries 
of  Connecticut  were  Ebenezer  Kneeland,  Stratford  and  Mil- 
ford  ;  Christopher  Newton,  Ripton  and  North  Stratford ;  John 
Sayre,  Fairfield ;  Ebenezer  Dibblee,  Stamford ;  Matthew  Graves, 
New  London  and  Charlestown ;  John  Beach,  Newtown  and 
Redding ;  Bela  Hubbard,  New  Haven  and  West  Haven ;  Wil- 
liam Gibbs,  Simsbury  and  Hartford ;  Roger  Viets,  assistant  to 
Mr.  Gibbs ;  Richard  Mansfield,  Derby  and  Oxford ;  Richard 
S.  Clark,  New  Milford,  Woodbury,  Kent,  New  Fairfield  and 
Sharon;  James  Scovill,  Waterbury  and  Westbury;  Samuel 
Peters,  Hebron ;  Samuel  Andrews,  Wallingford,  Cheshire  and 
North  Haven ;  John  Tyler,  Norwich ;  Daniel  Fogg,  Pomfret, 
Plainfield  and  Canterbury.  Dr.  Beardsley's  list  of  clergy  at  this 
time  gives  all  the  above  except  Mr.  Gibbs,  and  adds  the  Rev. 
John  Rutgers  Marshall,  of  Woodbury ;  Rev.  Gideon  Bostwick, 
of  Great  Barrington,  Mass.,  (who  was  reckoned  as  with  the 
Connecticut  clergy;)  Dr.  Samuel  Seabury  of  Westchester, 
N.  Y.  and  Rev.  James  Nichols,  Plymouth  and  Bristol,  a 
graduate  of  Yale  1771,  and  the  last  missionary  of  the  Society 
that  went  to  England  for  ordination.  Abraham  Jarvis  of 
Middletown  should  also  be  added. 

These  twenty-one  ministers  and  their  predecessors  had  regu- 
larly read  the  first  and  second  lessons  at  each  service,  which  was 
so  pleasing  to  the  people  generally  that  the  Congregational 
ministers  by  this  time  had  generally  adopted  the  custom  of 
reading  the  Scripture  in  public.  It  is  claimed  that  before  the 
Episcopalians  came,  the  Bible  was  never  read  in  public,  not 
even  so  much  as  the  Ten  Commandments  or  the  Lord's  Prayer. 
Dr.  Beardsley  speaks  of  this  in  his  history  of  the  Church,  and 
we  find  that  several  missionaries  refer  to  it  m  their  letters  to 


IN    CONNECTICUT.  77 

the  Society.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Arnold,  in  1736,  performed  Divine 
Service  at  Milford  and  describes  the  town  as  a  place  "  where 
the  use  of  the  Lord's  Prayer,  the  Creed,  and  the  Ten  Command- 
ments, or  the  reading  of  the  Scripture  in  Divine  Service  was 
never  before  known.  "  Rev.  John  Beach,  in  1772,  writes  that 
he  has  "  performed  divine  service  in  many  towns  where  the 
Common  Prayer  had  never  been  heard,  nor  the  Holy  Scrip- 
tures read  in  public  .  .  .  and  in  some  places  where  there 
never  had  been  any  public  worship  at  all,  nor  any  sermon 
preached  by  any  teacher  of  any  denomination.  " 

The  digest  of  the  reports  of  the  S.  P.  G.  tells  of  two  Dissent- 
ing ministers  in  New  England  who  "  put  on  ye  courage  to  read 
the  Holy  Bible  in  the  meeting  and  say  the  Lord's  Prayer,  a 
thing  not  done  before,  and  they  resolved  to  continue  it  tho'  very 
much  opposed."  In  Solomon  Palmer's  "Mission,"  (1754  to 
1771,)  one  parish  of  Dissenters,  from  observing  the  regular 
method  of  reading  the  Scripture  in  Church,  "  Voted,  that  a  new 
folio  Bible  be  bought  for  them  and  that  their  Teacher  read 
lessons  out  of  it  Sunday,  morning  and  evening.  "  Some  of  the 
missionaries  who  gave  us  these  facts  had  for  years  been  Dis- 
senting ministers  and  therefore  were  in  a  position  to  know  what 
the  custom  of  the  Standing  Order  was  before  the  Episcopalians 
came  here.  The  reading  of  the  Scripture  in  public  was  prob- 
ably omitted  so  as  to  avoid  all  appearance  of  everything 
ritualistic,  and  no  doubt  this  omission  was  made  in  England  at 
the  time  they  left  the  Mother  Church  and  made  so  many  radical 
changes  in  order  to  avoid  the  forms  which  they  denounced  as 
Popish.  That  the  Puritans  and  Pilgrims  as  early  as  1624  were 
not  accustomed  to  read  the  Scripture  in  public,  is  indicated 
from  the  fact  that  before  that  date  a  young  woman  member 
of  the  Separatists  Church,  at  London,  was  the  subject  of  dis- 
cipline for  the  offense  of  "  attending  the  service  of  the  Church 
of  England,  especially  for  the  purpose  of  hearing  the  Scrip- 
ture read  and  explained. "  [John  Robinson,  by  Rev.  O.  S. 
Davis,  D.D.,  p.  176.]  She  would  not  have  gone  to  the  service 
of  the  Church  of  England  especially  to  hear  the  Scripture  read, 
if  it  had  then  been  the  custom  to  do  so  in  the  Dissenting  church. 

In  1765,  five  of  the  missionaries  of  Connecticut  wrote  a  letter 
to  the  Society  relative  to  what  is  called  "  the  imposition  of 


78  THE    CHURCH 

Stamp  duties :  saying  that  "  We  think  it  our  incumbent  duty 
to  warn  our  hearers  in  particular  of  the  unreasonableness  and 
wickedness  of  their  taking  the  least  part  in  any  tumult  or 
opposition  to  his  Majesty's  acts. "  As  a  rule  the  Episcopalians, 
remembering  with  the  sincerest  gratitude  the  favors  they  had 
received  from  the  mother  country,  were  not  inclined  towards 
rebellious  conduct.  For  these  reasons,  those  who  were  bitterly 
opposed  to  the  Stamp  act,  (although  the  act  was  repealed  about 
1766,)  were  displeased  with  the  Episcopalians,  much  of  the  old 
bitterness  towards  them  was  revived  and  the  establishment  of 
an  American  Episcopate  was  looked  upon  with  increasing 
terror. 

In  May,  1766,  steps  were  taken  by  the  Synod  of  New  York 
and  Philadelphia  to  organize  an  Anti-Episcopal  Convention  for 
the  sole  object  of  opposing  an  American  Episcopate.  A  fuller 
account  of  this  Convention  is  given  in  the  preceding  chapter. 
Connecticut  had  her  full  share  in  this  Convention,  the  Standing 
Order  having  resolved  in  their  Association  at  Guilford,  June  3, 
1766,  to  accept  the  invitation  of  the  Synod  and  join  them  in 
Convention.  The  first  Convention  was  held  at  Elizabethtown, 
N.  J.,  Nov.  5,  1766,  with  six  members  present  from  Connecticut 
the  first  day,  and  two  more  on  the  day  following.  The  sermon 
was  by  Noah  Wells.  Nearly  a  month  previous,  the  Episcopal 
clergy  of  Connecticut  had  petitioned  for  a  Bishop.  The  peti- 
tion was  dated  Oct.  8,  1766,  and  signed  by  Samuel  Johnson, 
President,  and  eleven  other  clergy.  The  Anti-Episcopal  Con- 
vention met  annually  for  ten  years,  1766  to  1775  inclusive, 
meeting  every  alternate  year  in  Connecticut.  The  Congre- 
gationalists  of  Connecticut  had  several  different  Associations, 
three  of  which  were  not  represented  at  the  first  Convention, 
and  in  1768,  the  Association  from  the  Western  district  of  New 
London  County  sent  a  letter  to  the  Convention  giving  reasons 
why  they  declined  to  send  delegates.  The  Rev.  John  Smalley 
of  New  Britain  was  one  of  the  committee  in  1768  to  prepare 
the  letter  to  the  Dissenters  in  London  and  also  one  of  the  com- 
mittee to  carry  on  correspondence  with  friends  in  London, 
Massachusetts,  Rhode  Island  and  New  Hampshire.  Rev. 
Eliphalet  Whittlesey  preached  the  Convention  sermon  in  1768, 
and  on  Connecticut  matters  their  friends  in  England  were  to 


IN    CONNECTICUT.  79 

write  to  Messrs.  Whitman  and  Wells,  and  in  1769  to  Wells  and 
Mather.  In  1769,  Connecticut  had  a  majority  in  the  Conven- 
tion, there  being  eleven  members  from  Connecticut  and  only 
seven  from  New  York  and  New  Jersey.  In  1770,  Rev. 
Nathaniel  Taylor  was  president  of  the  Convention  and  Messrs. 
Hobart  and  Ross  were  appointed  to  "  collect  instances  of  lenity 
of  their  government  with  regard  to  Episcopal  Dissenters 
therein.  "  In  177 1,  Mr.  Wells  was  appointed  to  canvass  Nova 
Scotia  and  Mr.  Goodrich  to  canvass  Connecticut  and  report  the 
character  of  the  laws  relating  to  ecclesiastical  affairs,  and  the 
number  of  Episcopalians  and  Non-Episcopalians  in  these  prov- 
inces. From  this  we  see  that  no  less  than  nine  Congrega- 
tional ministers  of  Connecticut  were  prominent  in,  and  received 
special  honors  from  this  Anti-Episcopal  Convention.  The 
General  Association  of  Congregationalists  in  Connecticut  also 
voted  their  support  and  sympathy  from  time  to  time,  and  at 
Watertown,  June  16,  1772,  instructed  their  delegates  to 
"heartily  concur  with  the  Southern  Gentlemen  in  counteracting 
any  Motions  that  have  or  shall  be  made  for  sd.  Episcopate." 

The  report  of  the  Rev.  Elizur  Goodrich,  D.D.,  of  Durham,  is 
the  only  one  of  the  several  reports  that  has  been  printed.  His 
essay  on  the  ecclesiastical  laws  of  the  Colony  attempts  to  show 
how  good  the  "  religious  Establishment "  of  the  Colony  was ; 
that  the  Hardships  which  the  Episcopalians  complained  of  did 
not  exist,  and  that  the  laws  regulating  taxes  were  made  for 
their  benefit  and  at  their  request.  He  also  appears  to  think 
that  the  Established  Churches  would  not  be  adverse  to  an 
alteration  of  the  law  so  as  to  make  the  Episcopalians 
"  altogether  disconnected  "  and  to  enable  them  "  to  do  their  own 
business  without  any  concern  "  of  the  Established  Churches. 
His  census  was  as  follows : — 


8o 


THE   CHURCH 


An  account  of  the  number  of  the  inhabitants  of  Connecticut, 
Jan.  I,  1774,  and  an  estimate  of  the  proportion  of  the  Episco- 
palians and  Non-EpiscopaHans : 


Hartford  County. 

Town.                                                                             Epis. 

Non-Epis. 

Total. 

Bolton,            .... 

994 

994 

Chatham, 

90 

2289 

2369 

East    Haddam, 

88 

2655 

2743 

Enfield, 

1353 

1353 

Farmington, 

244 

5719 

5963 

Glastenbury, 

1992 

1992 

Haddam, 

23 

1690 

1713 

Hartford, 

III 

4770 

4881 

Simsbury, 

914 

2757 

3671 

Somers, 

1024 

1024 

Suffield, 

1980 

1980 

Tolland, 

5 

1242 

1247 

Wethersfield, 

6 

3341 

3347 

Willington,     . 

1000 

1000 

Colchester, 

No  report. 

3057 

East  Windsor, 

2961 

Hebron, 

2285 

Middletown, 

4680 

Stafi:ord, 

1333 

Windsor, 

2082 

I   to   22.     Total, 


Town. 

New  Haven, 

Branford, 

Derby, 

Durham, 

Guilford, 

Milford, 

Wallingford, 

Waterbury, 


I  to  7.     Total, 


147 1 


New  Haven  County, 


32806  50675 


Epis.               Non-Epis. 

Total. 

942                  7080 

8022 

86           1852 

1938 

725            1094 

1819 

6            1025 

IO3I 

213            2633 

2846 

153            1812 

1965 

626           41 5 I 

4777 

No  report. 

3498 

2751        19647       25896 


IN    CONNECTICUT. 


8i 


New  London  County. 

Town.                                                                                Epis. 

Non-Epis. 

Total. 

Preston,           .          .          .          .           221 

2034 

2255 

Groton, 

222 

3266 

3488 

Killingworth, 

68 

1889 

1957 

Stonington,     . 

32 

4924 

4956 

Saybrook, 

33 

2595 

2628 

New  London, 

No  report 

5366 

Norwich, 

«        (( 

7032 

Lyme, 

((        (( 

3860 

I   to  25.     Total, 

596 

14708 

31542 

Fairfield  County. 

Town.                                                                            Epis. 

Non-Epis. 

Total. 

Danbury,         ....           420 

2053 

2473 

Greenwich,     . 

443 

221 1 

2654 

New  Fairfield, 

87 

I20I 

1288 

Newtown, 

1084 

1084 

2168 

Norwalk, 

792 

3451 

4243 

Redding, 

478 

711 

1 189 

Ridgefield, 

329 

1344 

1673 

Stamford, 

710 

2793 

3503 

Fairfield, 

> 

No  report. 

4544 

Stratford, 

((         (( 

5201 

10  to  34.     Total, 

4343 

14848 

28936 

Windham  County. 

Town                                                                             Epis. 

Non-Epis. 

Total. 

Coventry,        .          .          .          .             11 

2021 

2032 

Pom  fret. 

55 

2186 

2241 

Kilingly, 

30 

3409 

3439 

Lebanon, 

36 

3805 

3841 

Mansfield, 

12 

2431 

2443 

Plainfield, 

1479 

1479 

Voluntown, 

6 

1470 

1476 

Union, 

512 

512 

Canterbury,    . 
Ashford, 

No  report. 
«         « 

2392 
2228 

Windham, 

((         t( 

3437 

Woodstock,    . 

tt         ti 

1974 

1  to  115.     Total,     . 

150 

I73I3 

27494 

»2 

THE    CHURCH 

Litchfield  County. 

Town.                                                                             Epis. 

Non-Epis. 

Total. 

Litchfield,       ....           191 

I318 

1509 

Canaan, 

91 

1482 

1573 

Cornwall, 

S3 

904 

957 

Hartland, 

49 

451 

500 

New  Hartford, 

25 

960 

985 

Norfolk, 

38 

928 

966 

Salisbury, 

91 

1845 

1936 

Sharon, 

83 

1903 

1986 

Torrington,    , 

31 

912 

843 

Barkhampstead, 

No  report 

250 

Colebrook, 

150 

Goshen, 

1098 

Harwinton, 

1015 

Kent,     . 

1922 

New   Milford, 

2742 

Westmoreland, 

1922 

Winchester,    . 

327 

Woodbury,     . 

5224 

I  to  16.     Total, 

655 

10600 

2594^ 

Summary. 

County.                                                                            Epis. 

Non-Epis. 

Total. 

Hartford  Co.,          .         .         .         147 1 

32806 

50675 

New  Haven  Co., 

2751 

19647 

25896 

New  London  Co., 

596 

14708 

31542 

Fairfield  Co., 

4343 

14848 

28936 

Windham  Co., 

150 

I73I3 

27494 

Litchfield  Co., 

655 

10542 

25944 

Total, 


9966    II 9922    190487 


I  Epis.  to  12  Non  Epis.  nearly;  the  Episcopalians  about  one 
to  thirteen  of  the  whole  number  of  inhabitants,  and  probably 
there  would  be  no  great  difference  from  this  proportion  were 
tlie  account  of  all  the  towns  come  in,  which  I  hope  soon  to 
gain. 

Elizur  Goodrich. 

Durham,  Sep.  5,  A.  D.  1774. 


IN    CONNECTICUT.  83 

There  are  a  few  errors  in  footing  that  do  not  affect  the 
proportion  of  EpiscopaHans  to  the  Non-Episcopalians.  The 
figures  here  given  are  the  same  as  in  the  printed  Goodrich  report. 

Of  the  towns  not  reported,  Hebron  and  Middletown  in  Hart- 
ford County  ;  Waterbury  in  New  Haven  County  ;  New  London 
and  Norwich  in  New  London  County ;  Fairfield  and  Stratford 
in  Fairfield  County ;  and  New  Milford  and  Woodbury  in 
Litchfield  County,  are  among  the  towns  where  the  Episcopa- 
lians were  the  most  numerous,  so  that  a  full  report  would  no 
doubt  have  shown  a  much  larger  percentage  of  Episcopalians. 
Only  eight  towns  are  reported  as  containing  no  Episcopalians. 
Newtown  is  the  only  one  reported  in  which  the  number  of  Epis- 
copalians equals  that  of  all  others,  besides  having  the  largest 
number,  1084,  of  any  reported  town.  New  Haven  is  second 
with  942,  and  Simsbury  third  with  914. 

The  Revolutionary  War  terminated  these  conventions  and 
suspended  all  efforts  towards  establishing  an  American  Episco- 
pate, 

The  history  of  what  others  did  against  the  Church  people  dur- 
ing the  war  would  alone  make  a  large  volume,  while  the  history 
of  what  the  Church  people  did  for  the  advancement  of  the 
Church  may  be  told  in  few  words — they  did  nothing  but  exist. 
That  was  all  they  could  do.  Naturally  and  properly,  the  mis- 
sionaries and  their  people  were  slow  to  commit  any  overt  act 
against  the  king,  and  hence  were  censured  and  abused.  For 
a  time  all  of  the  churches  were  closed  and  public  services 
suspended,  save  at  Newtown  and  Redding,  where  the  Rev. 
John  Beach  presided.  The  few  churches  that  were  after- 
wards opened  omitted  the  Prayers  for  the  king,  and  some 
otherwise  modified  their  service.  Nearly  all  of  the  clergy, 
excepting  Messrs.  Jarvis,  Hubbard  and  Tyler,  were  subjected 
to  imprisonment,  mob  violence,  banishment,  or  other  persecu- 
tion, and  even  these  had  narrow  escapes.  Acts  of  violence  that 
would  never  have  been  thought  of  except  in  war  time,  were 
perpetrated,  of  which  we  will  give  only  one  case  by  each  party. 

The  Rev.  Dr.  Mather  of  Stamford,  who  figured  in  the  Anti- 
Episcopal  Convention,  was,  with  his  four  sons,  taken  from  the 
parsonage  at  night  by  eight  loyalists  and  carried  to  New  York. 

The  Rev.  Jeremiah  Leaming,  D.D.,  of  Norwalk,  one  of  the 
ablest  and  most  respected  missionaries  of  the  S.  P.  G.,  had  his 


84  THE    CHURCH 

estate  confiscated.  His  picture  was  defaced  by  a  mob  and 
then  nailed  to  a  sign  post  bottom  side  up,  and  finally,  Dr.  Learn- 
ing was  confined  in  the  Fairfield  County  jail  for  so  long  a  time 
that  he  contracted  a  hip  disease  that  made  him  a  cripple  for  life. 
In  New  London,  however,  the  Congregationalists  and  Episco- 
palians dwelt  together  in  harmony,  (although  some  indignities 
against  the  Rev.  Mr.  Graves  were  indulged  in  by  the  crowd.) 
In  January,  1780,  the  Episcopalians  voted  to  allow  the  Congre- 
gationalists the  use  of  the  church  during  the  winter.  For  a 
fuller  account  of  revolutionary  history  and  acts,  we  refer  to 
Beardsley's  "  History  "  ,  Chapter  xxiv ;  Sabine's  "  American 
Loyalists  "  ;  and  Hawk's  and  Perry's  "  Documentary  History 
of  the  Church  in  Connecticut."  For  other  facts  before  the 
Revolution  see  "  Sketches  of  Church  Life  in  Colonial  Connecti- 
cut "  ,  by  Lucy  Cushing  Jarvis,  1902. 

The  Rev.  John  Beach  of  Newtown  writes  to  the  Secretary 
of  the  S.  P.  G.,  Oct.  31,  1781,  that  Newtown  and  Redding  he 
believes  are  "  the  only  parts  of  New  England  that  have  refused 
to  comply  with  the  doings  of  the  Congress,  and  for  that  reason 
have  been  the  butt  of  general  hatred.  Am  now  in  the  82d  year 
of  my  age, "  have  been  "  60  years  a  public  preacher,  and  after 
conviction  in  the  Church  of  England  50  years,"  But  in  1783 
Messrs.  Beach,  Gibbs  and  Kneeland  were  dead,  and  others  had 
removed,  so  that,  including  Bostwick  of  Great  Barrington, 
there  were  only  fourteen  clergy  left  in  the  Colony.  Messrs. 
Andrews,  Scovill,  Clark  and  Viets  soon  after  removed  to  Nova 
Scotia,  leaving  only  nine  clergymen  of  the  Church  within  the 
bounds  of  the  State. 

In  March,  1783,  ten  of  the  clergy  met  quietly  at  Woodbury 
and  elected  the  Rev.  Samuel  Seabury  for  their  Bishop.  He  had 
been  before  introduced  to  England  by  a  letter  of  Dr.  Samuel 
Johnson  dated  Sept.  29,  1748,  saying  that  young  Seabury 's 
father  has  "  a  promising  son,  and  as  he  designs  him  for  the 
Society's  service,  he  desires  me  to  mention  what  I  know  of  him, 
and  as  he  has  lived  for  four  years  much  under  my  eye,  I  can 
truly  testify  of  him  that  he  is  a  solid  sensible,  virtuous  youth, 
and  I  doubt  not  may  in  due  time  do  good  service. "  Dr. 
Samuel  Seabury  arrived  in  London,  July  7,  1783,  but  it  was 
over  a  year  before  he   could   return  as   the   first   Bishop   in 


IN    CONNECTICUT.  85 

America,  and  "  do  good  service  "  in  Connecticut,  as  he  finally 
did.  The  work  of  the  S.  P.  G.  had  now  ceased  in  the  United 
States  but  was  continued  in  the  British  Provinces  of  America. 
Dr.  Seabury  was  made  very  uneasy  when  in  London,  by  hear- 
ing reports  that  several  of  the  Connecticut  missionaries  were 
expected  in  Nova  Scotia  with  a  large  portion  of  their  congrega- 
tions. In  May,  1784,  he  says  if  these  gentlemen  "  do  not 
choose  to  stay  in  Connecticut  why  should  a  Bishop  go  there,  I 
answer  one  reason  of  their  going  is  the  hope  of  enjoying  their 
religion  fully,  which  they  cannot  do  .  .  .  without  a 
Bishop."  He  was  also  desirous  of  having  a  law  passed  to  per- 
mit a  Bishop  to  reside  in  Connecticut,  fearing  that  the  absence 
of  such  a  law  might  be  urged  against  his  consecration.  He 
was  informed  that  the  new  laws  of  the  State,  1784,  (which  had 
not  then  been  published,)  gave  all  that  was  desired.  The  law 
relating  to  denominations  other  than  the  Standing  Order  was 
the  first  to  use  the  word  "  Episcopal  ",  and  gave  that  Church  the 
same  powers  and  privileges  as  the  ecclesiastical  societies  estab- 
lished by  law,  and  "  all  the  legal  rights  and  powers  intended  by 
our  constitution  to  be  given  to  any  denomination. "  The  Rev. 
Dr.  Leaming  and  Rev.  Abraham  Jarvis  were  instrumental  in 
having  this  law  enacted.  Taxes  were  still  laid  on  every  adult 
male,  for  ministers'  support  and  "  meeting-houses "  of  the 
Standing  Order,  but  all  persons  of  every  other  denomination 
could  be  exempted  from  such  taxes,  by  filing  a  proper  certi- 
ficate showing  that  they  attended  Divine  Service  elsewhere  and 
paid  their  full  share  for  its  support.  From  this  time  on  the  much 
abused  Separatists  or  Strict  Congregationalists  and  the  doubly- 
taxed  Episcopalians,  had  no  substantial  grievance  under  the  law. 
In  fact  by  this  time  the  distinction  between  the  Straight  Congre- 
gationalists and  those  of  the  Standing  Order  had  vanished,  for 
now  the  rock  upon  which  they  split,  the  half-way  covenant,  had 
been  largely  discontinued.  It  was  discontinued  at  New  Britain 
in  1767;  at  Southington  before  1780;  at  Hartford  between 
1 77 1  and  1804;  at  Newington  between  1775  and  1805,  and 
about  the  beginning  of  the  19th  century  it  was  universally 
abandoned.  The  early  laws  of  the  Colony  were  not  hard  on  the 
people  during  the  conditions  for  which  they  were  made.  They 
did   well   enough    for   the   first   seventy-five   years.      In    1708 


S6  THE    CHURCH 

the  followers  of  Hooker  were  overthrown,  and  for  about 
seventy-five  years  more  the  Saybrook  Platformists  were  the 
new  Standing  Order;  they  ruled  with  an  iron  hand  and 
refused  to  modify  their  laws  to  adapt  them  to  the  new  condi- 
tions of  the  Colony.  It  was  under  the  rule  of  the  new  Standing 
Order  that  Episcopalians  had  to  suffer ;  but  even  the  Episco- 
palians fared  better  under  the  law  than  did  the  Straight  Con- 
gregationalists.  The  latter  were  practically  told  by  the  Gen- 
eral Court  of  1743  that  they  need  not  expect  any  favor  of  the 
Assembly.  But  in  1784,  when  the  new  Standing  Order  were 
returning  to  the  ways  of  Hooker,  who  was  a  Straight  Congrega- 
tionalist,  they  began  to  look  upon  others  with  more  favor,  and 
then,  for  the  first  time  they  placed  all  who  differed  from  them 
in  religion  upon  substantially  an  equal  footing.  And  now  that 
Standing  Order  of  Connecticut,  who  for  seventy-five  years 
treated  Episcopalians  and  Straight  Congregationalists  with 
great  injustice,  is  a  thing  of  the  past;  the  Episcopalians  still 
survive,  and  there  are  none  other  than  Straight  Congregation- 
alists now  in  Connecticut. 

A  united  people  once  more  at  peace,  a  repeal  of  all  Colony 
laws,  and  an  entirely  new  revision  of  State  laws,  were  the  new 
conditions  in  Connecticut  that  greeted  the  first  Bishop  of 
America  upon  his  return  from  Scotland  in  1785,  where  he  had 
been  consecrated  Nov.  14,  1784.  He  had  been  thirty-one 
years  a  missionary  of  the  S.  P.  G.,  was  absent  for  consecration 
full  two  years,  had  more  than  expended  all  he  had,  and  now 
there  was  no  provision  whatever  for  his  support.  The  London 
"Seabury  Commemoration",  1884,  says  "Providence  had  per- 
mitted his  native  land  to  be  a  state  without  a  King;  it  was 
his  cherished  task  to  see  that  his  native  land  should  have  a 
Church,  and  not  without  a  Bishop." 

Two  days  after  arriving  at  his  home  in  New  London,  he 
wrote  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Jarvis  concerning  the  first  Convention, 
which  met  at  Middletown,  Aug.  2,  1785,  with  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Learning  as  Chairman  and  the  Rev.  Mr.  Jarvis  Secretary,  and 
ten  others  in  attendance. 

On  the  next  day,  the  Bishop  was  formally  received,  greeted 
and  accepted  by  the  clergy,  as  their  Bishop.  Four  persons  were 
ordained  deacons,  the  first  in  the  American  Church.     At  the 


IN    CONNECTICUT.  87 

conclusion  of  the  service  the  Bishop  dissolved  the  Convention 
and  directed  the  clergy  to  meet  at  five  o'clock  in  "  Convocation," 
There  had  been  voluntary  conventions  of  the  clergy  from  1739, 
but  this  is  the  first  time  that  the  word  "Convocation"  was  applied 
to  a  meeting  of  the  clergy  in  Connecticut.  It  was  so  called 
because  they  were  convoked  by  Episcopal  authority.  After  the 
organization  of  the  Convention  of  clergy  and  lay  delegates  in 
1792,  the  Convocation  ceased  to  act  upon  affairs  concerning 
the  temporal  interests  of  the  Diocese,  while  it  still,  if  requested, 
advised  upon  them.  [Printed  "  Records  of  Convocation  ",  pp. 
12  and  13.]  The  four  last  recorded  meetings  of  the  Convoca- 
tion were  held  in  1830,  1837,  1847  ^^^  1848,  respectively. 

The  subject  of  changes  in  the  Prayer  Book  was  discussed  at 
Middletown,  and  on  Aug.  12,  1785,  the  Bishop  issued  a  pastoral 
letter  enjoining  the  clergy  to  make  certain  changes  in  con- 
nection with  the  State  Prayers  and  mention  of  the  British 
government. 

The  Convocation  at  Derby,  Sept.  22,  1786,  adopted  further 
changes  in  the  Prayer  Book,  including  "  The  Communion 
Office "  based  upon  the  Liturgy  of  the  Church  in  Scot- 
land. The  day  after  Bishop  Seabury's  consecration  he 
made  a  "  Concordate "  with  the  Scottish  Bishops.  Without 
"  prescribing  to  their  Brethren  in  this  matter "  of  the  Com- 
munion Office,  they  recommended  "  the  most  primitive  Doc- 
trine and  practice  in  that  respect,  which  is  the  pattern  the 
Church  of  Scotland  has  copied  after  in  her  Communion  Office.  " 
And  on  the  other  part  "  Bishop  Seabury  agrees  to  take  a  seri- 
ous View  of  the  Communion  Office  recommended  by  them  and 
if  found  agreeable  to  the  genuine  Standards  of  Antiquity,  to 
give  his  sanction  to  it,  and  by  gentle  Methods  of  x\rgument 
and  Persuasion,  to  endeavor  as  they  have  done  to  introduce  it 
by  degrees  into  practice  without  the  Compulsion  of  Authority 
on  the  one  side  or  the  prejudice  of  former  Custom  on  the 
other.  " 

The  "  Communion  Office  "  with  "Private  Devotions  Recom- 
mended to  the  Episcopal  Congregations  in  Connecticut  By 
the  Right  Reverend  Bishop  Seabury "  was  printed  at  New 
London  by  T.  Green  in  1786.  At  this  time  there  were  many, 
especially  in  the  South,  that  thought  Bishop  Seabury's  conse- 


88  THE    CHURCH 

cration  illegal  and  for  that  reason  an  effort  was  made  to  have 
New  England,  under  Bishop  Seabury,  remain  only  a  branch  of 
the  American  Church.  But  in  strict  accordance  with  the  Con- 
cordate  "  by  gentle  methods  of  argument  and  persuasion  .  .  . 
without  the  compulsion  of  authority  "  and  with  a  sacrifice  of 
all  personal  rights  and  interests,  Bishop  Seabury  and  his  friends 
succeeded  in  uniting  all  conflicting  elements  in  one  American 
Church,  bringing  together  the  Bishops  of  the  English  and 
Scottish  succession  and  adopting,  in  1789,  the  revised  Prayer 
Book  with  that  ancient  "  Communion  Office  "  which  was  after 
the  pattern  of  the  Church  of  Scotland,  but  which  is  now  in 
regular  use  only  in  the  American  Church. 

The  first  occasion  on  which  Bishop  Seabury  wore  his  Epis- 
copal attire  and  mitre  is  said  to  have  been  at  the  consecration  of 
St.  James's  church  at  New  London,  Sept.  20,  1787.  The 
Psalms  were  beautifully  chanted  and  most  of  the  clergy  present 
were  vested  in  their  robes. 

In  1787,  an  unusual  incident  occurred  at  Barkhamsted,  when 
the  Rev.  Jonathan  Marsh.  A.M.,  Congregational  minister  at 
New  Hartford,  preached  a  Christmas  Sermon  to  the  Episco- 
palians, which  he  did  at  their  request.  It  was  printed  at  Hart- 
ford that  year  and  a  copy  of  it  is  now  in  the  library  of  the 
Connecticut  Historical  Society. 

On  June  2,  1790,  the  Bishop  and  fifteen  clergymen  met  in 
the  Presbyterian  Meeting-house  at  Litchfield  and  appointed  a 
committee  on  the  Constitution  and  Canons  of  the  Church,  and 
Oct.  I,  1790,  at  Newtown,  the  enactments  of  the  "  General  Con- 
vention at  Philadelphia  on  the  2^  day  of  Octob'  1789"  were 
approved  and  adopted  by  a  vote  of  13  to  i. 

In  1790,  Rhode  Island  was  added  to  Bishop  Seabury's  charge. 

The  dying  grip  of  the  Standing  Order  on  the  purses  of  other 
denominations  rallied  a  little  in  May,  1791,  when  an  act  was 
passed  in  addition  to,  and  in  alteration  of,  the  certificate 
exemption  law  of  1784,  whereby  no  certificate  was  legal  unless 
the  party  claiming  exemption  was  examined  by  two  justices, 
(or  one  in  case  the  town  did  not  have  two,)  who  should  give 
the  desired  certificate  if  "  they  shall  judge  the  same  well 
founded."  The  Convocation  of  Oct.  5,  1791,  voted  to  ask  for 
the  repeal  of  this  law  and  in  that  month  both  certificate  laws 


IN    CONNECTICUT.  89 

were  repealed  and  a  new  one  passed,  granting  exemption  on  the 
same  conditions  as  before,  upon  filing  of  a  certificate  merely 
signed  by  the  applicant. 

On  Oct.  5,  1791,  the  Convocation  at  Watertown  appointed 
the  first  Standing  Committee,  consisting  of  five  clergymen,  as 
laymen  at  that  date  had  no  part  in  the  management  of  Diocesan 
matters.  This  has  never  been  changed,  and  the  Standing  Com- 
mittee of  to-day  is  composed  of  five  clergymen.  Of  the  ninety- 
four  Dioceses  of  the  Church  in  America,  only  four,  Connecticut, 
Maryland,  Easton  of  Maryland  and  Michigan  City  of  Indiana, 
have  no  lay  members  on  the  Standing  Committee. 

On  Oct.  7,  1791,  the  same  Convocation  voted — "That  each 
Clergyman  recommended  it  to  the  people  of  his  Ctirc  to  choose 
one  or  more  persons  to  represent  them  at  a  Convocation  to  be 
holden  at  the  Church  in  New  Haven  on  the  30th  of  May 
next.  .  .  .  which  representatives  are  to  be  considered  as 
a  Committee  of  conference,  to  confer  with  the  Convocation, 
at  that  time  &  place,  on  all  matters  that  respect  the  temporal 
interest  of  the  Church."  In  conformity  therewith  the  clergy 
met  separately  in  Convocation  at  Trinity  Church,  New  Haven, 
June  6,  1792,  and  on  the  same  day  in  that  church  the  "Bishop, 
Clergy  and  Laity  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  in  Con- 
necticut "  held  their  first  Annual  Convention.  There  were 
twenty  of  the  clergy  and  twenty-four  of  the  laity  present.  The 
lay  delegates  are  arranged  in  the  Journal  by  counties,  and  Hart- 
ford County  is  the  only  one  not  represented.  The  first  busi- 
ness of  the  Convention  was  the  adoption  of  "  The  constitution  of 
the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  in  Connecticut."  They  then 
appointed  four  clerical  and  four  lay  deputies  to  the  next  Gen- 
eral Convention  and  appointed  a  committee  to  report  to  the 
next  Diocesan  Convention  a  plan  for  a  religious  and  charitable 
society.  After  the  several  parishes  in  the  State  approved  the 
Constitution  adopted  in  this  Convention,  the  Diocese  of  Con- 
necticut was  duly  established  and  thereafter  met  annually  in 
convention.  The  first  society  or  parish  formed  within  the 
Diocese  was  that  of  Exeter  in  the  town  of  Lebanon,  which  was 
voted  to  be  "  a  separate  ecclesiastical  society  "  by  the  Convo- 
cation at  Huntington,  Oct,  10,  1792.  The  same  Convocation 
also  took  steps  towards  establishing  a  "  Fund  for  the  Bishop's 


90  THE    CHURCH 

support " ;  but  it  did  not  mature  in  Bishop  Seabury's  time. 
After  numerous  delays,  an  act  of  incorporation  was  passed  in 
May,  1799,  but  the  trustees  do  not  appear  to  have  been  active 
until  about  1803.  In  that  year  the  Convention  voted  that  no 
delegate  be  admitted  to  the  Convention  unless  he  delivered, 
with  his  certificate,  the  grand  levy  of  the  Church  he  wished  to 
represent.  This  levy  was  to  be  used  as  a  basis  of  assessments 
for  the  Bishop's  fund. 

When  the  annual  Convention  met  at  Middletown,  June  5, 
1793,  it  appeared  from  the  reports  of  the  lay  delegates  and 
certificates  exhibited  that  the  "  Constitution  of  the  Church  in 
Connecticut  had  been  fully  approved  and  adopted  by  a  great 
majority  of  the  Churches  in  the  State.  " 

The  practicability  of  instituting  an  Episcopal  Academy  in 
this  State  was  considered  as  early  as  the  Spring  of  1789,  and  in 
the  Convocation  of  Feb.  15,  1792,  the  several  clergy  were 
requested  to  see  what  could  be  done  towards  erecting  an  Episco- 
pal Academy.  The  matter  was  considered  in  the  annual  Con- 
vention of  1794.  The  committee  reported  to  the  Convention  of 
1795  and  it  was  voted  that  the  Academy  be  established.  The 
constitution  of  the  Academy  was  adopted  in  the  Convention  of 
1796.  In  1802  the  State  authorized  a  lottery  to  raise  $15,000 
for  the  Episcopal  Academy.  The  Bishop's  address  to  the  Con- 
vention of  1892  refers  to  this  Academy  as  "  our  oldest  Diocesan 
Institution."  Also  in  1894,  one  hundred  years  after  the 
Academy  was  instituted,  when  the  Bishop  says  that  from  1796 
the  "  Trustees  have  been  elected  by  the  Convention  of  the 
Diocese.  " 

The  Convention  of  1795  voted  that  the  Journals  of  the  Con- 
vention from  the  first  be  printed,  and  that  in  future  they  be 
published  annually.  Bishop  Seabury's  Psalter  "  was  also 
printed  in  1795,  by  Thomas  C.  Green,  New  London.  "  It  is 
mentioned  at  length  in  Beardsley's  "  Life  of  Bishop  Seabury," 
and  is  described  also  in  Dr.  Wright's  "  Early  Prayer  Books  of 
America."  It  was  a  book  for  family  use  and  was  never  known 
to  have  been  used  in  the  churches.  Only  three  copies  of  it  are 
now  known  to  be  in  existence.  They  belong  respectively  to 
Mr,  James  Terry  of  Hartford,  Mr,  Henry  White  of  New 
Haven,  and  Mr,  George  Hoadley  of  Hartford, 


IN    CONNECTICUT.  pi 

A  national  Thanksgiving  was  appointed  by  George  Wash- 
ington, the  President,  for  Feb.  19,  1795.  The  proclamation 
was  not  read  at  New  London  because  the  date  appointed  fell  in 
Lent,  which  was  not  considered  an  appropriate  time  for  Thanks- 
giving. It  was  also  considered  objectionable  to  observe  Fast 
day  during  Easter  week,  although  not  objectionable  during 
Lent.  These  matters  were  discussed  in  the  Connecticut 
"  Gazette  "  and  Bishop  Seabury  gave  his  views  of  the  matter, 
although  his  name  did  not  appear  as  the  author.  Governor 
Huntington  of  Norwich  was  a  friend  of  the  Bishop.  The  Con- 
gregationalists  of  Norwich  were  then  worshipping  in  the  Epis- 
copal Church  by  the  courtesy  of  the  Episcopalians.  The  annual 
State  Fast  for  1795  was  appointed  for  Good  Friday  by  Gover- 
nor Huntington,  and  this  was  the  first  time  that  the  State  Fast 
in  Connecticut  had  ever  been  appointed  on  Good  Friday.  It 
was  again  so  appointed  for  1797,  and  since  then  that  has  been 
the  continuous  practice.  [Fast  and  Thanksgiving  days  in  New 
England,  by  Rev.  W.  DeLoss  Love,  Jr.,  Ph.D.] 

At  the  General  or  Triennial  Convention  in  1792,  Bishop  Sea- 
bury  waived  his  right  to  preside,  and  agreed  to  exercise  the 
Presidency  in  rotation  with  the  other  Bishops.  This  made 
Bishop  Provoost  the  Presiding  Officer,  and  the  consecrator,  with 
the  other  Bishops,  of  the  Rev.  Thomas  Claggett,  D.D. 

Bishop  Seabury's  first  ordinations  were  at  Middletown, 
Aug.  3,  1785,  when  Messrs.  Furgeson,  Van  Dyke,  Baldwin  and 
Shelton  were  made  deacons.  His  last  ordination  was  at  St. 
Matthew's,  East  Plymouth,  Oct.  21,  1795,  the  day  of  conse- 
crating the  church,  when  Alexander  Viets  Griswold,  after- 
wards Bishop  of  the  Eastern  Diocese,  was  ordained  priest. 
The  first  confirmation  in  America  was  by  Bishop  Seabury  at 
Stratford.  His  first  consecration  of  a  church  was  at  Norwalk, 
in  July,  1786,  and  his  last  known  official  act  was  the  consecra- 
tion of  St.  Mark's  Church,  Harwinton,  Oct.  22,  1795.  He  died 
suddenly  on  Feb.  25,  1796. 

Bishop  Seabury's  first  charge  to  the  clergy,  at  New  Haven, 
Aug.  4,  1785,  is  printed  in  the  reprint  of  the  Journals  1792  to 
1820,  p.  147,  and  a  list  of  the  ordinations  by  Bishops  Seabury, 
Jarvis,  and  Brownell,  appear  in  the  same  reprint,  and  again  with 
additions   up   to  date   in   the  Journal    for    1865,   pp.    151-165; 


92  THE    CHURCH 

again  in  the  Journal  for  1866,  pp.  166-180,  and  in  the  Journal 
for  1886.  The  latter  also  contains  a  list  of  ordinations  from 
Connecticut  by  English  Bishops  and  a  list  of  clergymen 
deceased  up  to  July  i,  1886. 

In  the  Journal  of  1882,  pp.  152,  etc.,  appears  not  merely  a 
list  but  the  full  record  of  Bishop  Seabury's  Ordinations.  The 
"  Calendar  "  of  Hartford  for  1854  contains  short  biographical 
notices,  by  Rev.  A.  B.  Chapin,  of  all  the  clergymen  ordained  by 
Bishops  Seabury  and  Jarvis.  They  begin  with  the  issue  of 
July  I,  and  are  concluded  with  the  issue  of  Nov.  25. 

At  a  special  Convention  held  in  Trinity  church,  New  Haven, 
May  5,  1796,  the  clerical  and  lay  delegates  formed  two  separate 
houses  for  the  purpose  of  deliberating  separately  on  the  subject 
of  electing  a  Bishop.  The  clergy  made  choice  of  the  Rev. 
Abraham  Jarvis,  but  he  declined  the  office. 

The  Rev.  John  Bowden  was  elected  for  Bishop,  Oct.  19,  1796, 
and  on  June  7,  1797,  he  signified  to  the  Convention,  in  writing, 
his  non-acceptance  of  the  Episcopate. 

On  June  7,  1797,  at  Derby,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Jarvis  was  unani- 
mously reelected  by  the  clergy.  The  laity  were  notified  of  his 
election  and  they  unanimously  concurred.  At  the  Commence- 
ment at  Yale  in  September,  1797,  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Divin- 
ity was  conferred  on  the  Rev.  Abraham  Jarvis,  Bishop-elect  of 
the  Church  in  Connecticut.  In  the  church  where  he  was  first 
elected  he  was  consecrated  on  Oct.  18,  1797,  by  the  Right  Rev. 
Dr.  White  of  Pennsylvania,  the  Right  Rev.  Dr.  Provoost  of 
New  York,  and  the  Right  Rev.  Dr.  Bass  of  Massachusetts  and 
New  Hampshire. 

The  Convention  of  June  6  and  7,  1798,  appointed  a  com- 
mittee "  to  draft  an  address  to  the  President  of  the  United 
States."  This  address  appears  in  the  "  Conn.  Journal  & 
Weekley  Advertiser"  of  New  Haven,  issue  of  Jan.  31,  1799, 
together  with  a  letter  of  acknowledgment  and  thanks  from  the 
President,  John  Adams.  The  occasion  for  sending  the  address 
was  the  war  among  the  nations  of  Europe.  The  closing  lines 
of  the  address  are  as  follows : — We  "  assure  the  Rulers  of  our 
Country  that  we  will  use  our  best  endeavors  to  promote  unity 
of  opinion,  respect  for  the  laws,  and  reverence  for  all  that  are 
in  authority  over  us.     And  to  do  our  best  endeavors  we  add  our 


IN    CONNECTICUT.  93 

prayers  to  Almighty  God  Beseeching  Him  to  direct  and  dispose 
the  hearts  of  all  Christian  Rulers,  that  they  may  truly,  and 
impartially  administer  justice  to  the  punishment  of  wickedness 
and  vice,  and  to  the  maintenance  of  true  religion  and  virtue.  " 
Signed 

"  Abraham  Bp.  of  Connecticut.  " 

The  Records  of  Convocation,  p.  53,  show  that  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Baldwin  was  appointed  Aug.  22,  1798,  to  draft  an  address  to 
the  President  in  behalf  of  the  Convocation.  The  first  men- 
tioned address  was  in  behalf  of  the  Convention. 

The  English  custom  of  omitting  the  surname  in  the  official 
signature  was  followed  both  by  Bishop  Seabury  and  Bishop 
Jarvis,  the  latter  being  the  last  Bishop  of  Connecticut  that  thus 
signed.  A  facsimile  of  one  of  Bishop  Seabury's  certificates 
is  shown  at  the  beginning  of  this  chapter. 

The  Canons  for  the  Church  in  Connecticut  were  adopted  at 
the  Convention  held  June  6,  1799,  and  are  printed  in  the  Journal. 

When  the  Convention  met  at  Newtown,  June  3,  1801,  a 
procession  was  formed  by  its  members,  the  clergy,  in  their 
gowns,  and  marched  from  the  house  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Burhans, 
to  the  Episcopal  church,  attended  by  a  band  of  music.  This 
custom  of  marching  to  the  Convention  in  procession  was 
followed  for  many  years. 

Dr.  Beardsley  says  that  about  this  time  there  were  not  more 
than  half  a  dozen  churches  in  the  Diocese  supplied  with  organs, 
and  their  number  was  not  much  increased  for  twenty-five  years. 
Organs  were  used  in  Episcopal  churches  in  this  country  for 
more  than  fifty  years  before  the  Congregatignalists  began  to 
use  them.  The  first  church  organ  in  New  England  was  placed 
in  King's  Chapel,  Boston,  about  1714.  The  first  organ  in  any 
house  of  public  worship  in  Connecticut,  (according  to  Dr. 
Beardsley,)  was  delivered  to  Christ  Church,  Stratford,  the  last 
of  April,  1756.  Christ  Church,  Middletown,  was  finished  in 
1755,  and  Richard  Alsop  imported  an  organ  from  England  and 
presented  it  to  the  parish,  but  this  was  probably  some  time  after 
April,  1756.  Trinity  Church,  New  Haven,  voted  June  30, 
1794,  to  hire  Mr.  Salter  as  organist  for  six  months.  The  first 
organ  in  any  house  of  public  worship  in  what  is  now  Hartford 


94  THE    CHURCH 

County  was  placed  in  the  Congregational  church  at  Worth- 
ington,  (now  Berlin,)  1792,  and  the  first  in  an  Episcopal  church 
of  this  county  was  in  use  at  Christ  Church,  Hartford,  at  the 
consecration  of  that  church,  Nov.  11,  1801,  and  for  several 
years  these  were  the  only  organs  in  that  part  of  the  State. 

At  the  annual  Convention  of  1804,  the  members  were 
requested  to  procure  various  historical  information  as  to  early 
Churches,  clergymen  and  prominent  lay  brethren,  and  to  trans- 
mit the  same  to  the  editors  of  the  "  Churchman's  Magazine." 
This  magazine  was  first  published  at  New  Haven  in  1804,  and 
was  the  first  diocesan  paper  in  Connecticut,  and  also  the  first 
Episcopal  periodical  ever  published  in  this  country.  With 
various  interruptions,  changes  in  management  and  place  of 
publication,  it  was  continued  until  1827,  when  it  was  succeeded 
by  the  "Episcopal  Watchman",  of  Hartford,  until  1834.  In 
1837,  the  "  Chronicle  of  the  Church  "  was  published  at  New 
Haven  by  order  of  the  Convention.  In  1841  the  name  was 
changed  to  the  "  Practical  Christian  and  Church  Chronicle  " 
and  it  continued  to  the  end  of  1844.  It  was  succeeded  by  the 
"  Calendar "  of  Hartford  in  1845  ^^^  the  "  Calendar "  was 
succeeded  in  1866  by  the  "  Connecticut  Churchman."  In  1867 
the  name  was  changed  to  "  The  Churchman ",  and  in  July, 
1877,  the  office  of  publication  was  removed  to  New  York  City, 
where  it  is  still  published.  A  paper  called  "  The  Churchman  " 
had  been  published  in  New  York,  1831  to  about  1859,  but  as 
it  had  ceased  to  exist,  the  proprietors  of  the  paper  published  at 
Hartford  felt  free,  in  1867,  to  adopt  that  name.  The  present 
New  York  paper  is  therefore  a  continuation  of  the  diocesan 
paper  which  was  started  in  the  Diocese  of  Connecticut  and  pub- 
lished in  that  Diocese  for  seventy-four  years. 

The  fashion  set  by  the  certificate  law  of  1784  and  1791,  for 
avoiding  ecclesiastical  taxes  to  the  Standing  Order,  was  often 
followed  in  withdrawing  from  other  societies.  The  following 
is  from  the  papers  of  the  Episcopal  Society  of  Barkhamsted, 
and  is  dated  June  20,  1805. 

"  This  certyfies  that  i  .  .  .  having  seriously  taken  it 
into  Consideration  in  what  way  is  most  Exceptable  to  worship 
god  i  think  the  presbyterian  way  of  worship  the  Best  &  shall 
imBrace  it  in  Future. " 


IN    CONNECTICUT.  95 

The  Journal  of  the  annual  Convention  for  1807  is  the  first 
in  which  the  Bishop's  address  appears.  It  was  more  in  the 
nature  of  a  charge  to  the  clergy  and  people  than  are  the 
addresses  of  recent  years.  Wardens  and  vestrymen  of  to-day 
will  find  in  this  addtess  such  a  clear  and  comprehensive  state- 
ment of  their  duties  as  to  repay  them  for  reading  it. 

The  Bishop  refers  to,  and  rebukes,  the  practice  of  employing 
lay  preachers  or  preaching  candidates.  At  this  time  there  was 
upon  an  average  "  more  than  two  congregations  to  one  Clergy- 
man "  in  this  Diocese  and  from  lack  of  ministers  or  other  cause, 
as  soon  as  persons  were  registered  as  candidates  for  holy  orders 
they  began  to  preach  as  if  they  had  a  license.  One  person 
began  to  preach  in  1788  and  was  not  made  deacon  until  nearly 
three  years  thereafter;  another  commenced  to  preach  in  1802, 
more  than  a  year  and  a  half  before  he  was  ordained,  and  there 
were  many  more  doing  the  same  thing.  No  objection  was 
made  to  the  employment  of  candidates  to  say  the  prayers  and 
to  read  a  sermon,  in  the  absence  of  a  clergyman,  but  for  one  to 
preach  on  the  ground  of  being  a  candidate  was  contrary  to  the 
principles  of  the  Church  and  an  error  both  on  the  part  of  the 
candidate  and  of  the  parishioners  who  employed  him. 

At  the  annual  Convention  of  1808,  the  several  parishes  in  the 
Diocese  were  divided  into  thirty-four  cures,  covering  by  name 
seventy-two  parishes,  and  "  parts  adjacent."  At  that  time 
there  were  only  twenty-six  clergymen  for  these  seventy-two 
parishes,  eight  of  the  thirty-four  cures  being  reported  as 
vacant.  There  were  only  four  cures  limited  to  one  parish  each. 
One  cure  was  composed  of  one  parish  and  parts  adjacent,  nine- 
teen cures  were  each  composed  of  two  parishes,  one  cure  of  two 
parishes  and  parts  adjacent,  and  nine  cures  were  each  composed 
of  three  parishes.  Even  as  late  as  the  fall  of  1819,  there  were 
only  seven  parishes  in  the  Diocese  capable  of  supporting  full 
services  independently. 

The  first  parish  reports  appear  in  the  Journal  for  1809,  but 
out  of  the  seventy-two  parishes  named  in  the  cures  of  1808 
only  twenty  parishes  are  included  in  these  reports. 

In  this  Journal  we  also  find  a  committee  was  appointed  to 
publish  documents  respecting  Mr.  Ammi  Rogers  "  and  distrib- 
ute them  to  all  persons  who  may  wish  for  information  on  that 


g6  THE    CHURCH 

subject."  There  was  no  lack  of  material  for  this  committee. 
Without  going  into  details,  we  may  say  that  Mr.  Rogers  was 
attempting  to  force  himself  upon  the  Diocese  and  to  officiate 
within  it,  in  violation  of  the  ancient  canons  of  the  Church.  The 
41st  Canon  passed  at  the  Council  of  Laodicea,  A.D.  321.  pro- 
vided "  that  no  clergyman  ought  to  travel  without  the  consent 
of  his  Bishop."  The  13th  Canon  passed  at  the  Council  of 
Chalcedon,  being  the  fourth  Council,  A.D.  451,  provided  "that 
a  foreign  clergyman  and  not  known  shall  not  officiate  in  another 
city,  without  commendatory  letters  from  his  own  Bishop." 
The  present  canons  as  to  removals  had  not  then  been  adopted 
here,  but  they  are  the  same  in  substance  as  these  ancient  canons. 

The  Convocations  of  1801  and  1803  requested  of  Rogers 
testimonials  from  his  Bishop,  and  in  1804,  Bishop  Jarvis  for- 
bade the  clergy  and  Churches  in  this  Diocese  to  allow  Mr. 
Rogers  to  ofificiate.  But  he  continued  to  officiate,  and  after  the 
death  of  Bishop  Jarvis,  Bishop  Hobart  of  New  York,  Rogers' 
own  Bishop,  turned  his  back  on  him  at  Hebron. 

The  Bishop's  address  to  the  annual  Convention  1812  gives 
a  history  of  the  Bishop's  fund  and  shows  how  insufficient  it 
had  been  and  "  with  what  languor,  the  support  of  the  Bishop 
has  hitherto  been  regarded."  All  that  his  "  worthy  predeces- 
sor received  from  the  Diocese  "  he  believed  "  did  not  amount 
to  the  interest  of  the  money  he  expended  of  his  own  property 
to  accomplish  for  us,  the  object  of  our  wishes."  These  words 
of  Bishop  Jarvis  were  not  spoken  for  himself  at  his  advanced 
age,  "  with  no  rational  prospect  of  any  great  length  of  days  to 
come."  This  was  his  last  address  to  the  Convention.  He  died 
May  13,  1813,  nineteen  days  before  the  sitting  of  the  annual 
Convention.  This  Convention  passed  a  resolution  requiring 
every  clergyman  to  preach  a  sermon  to  his  parish  strongly 
enforcing  the  importance  of  raising  "  an  adequate  and  reason- 
able support  of  the  Episcopate."  The  Grand  Levy  of  the 
Parishes  ordered  in  1803  was  not  required  to  be  entered  on  the 
Journal  until  1805  and  first  appears  in  the  Journal  for  1806. 
This  course  was  continued  for  many  years.  In  August,  1813,  a 
committee  was  appointed  to  lay  a  special  assessment  on  each 
parish  in  the  Diocese  "  for  raising  the  Bishop's  Fund."  At 
the  November  Convention  in  that  year,  the  Treasurer  of  the 


IN    CONNECTICUT.  97 

Bishop's  fund  was  requested  to  visit  the  various  parishes  to 
receive  the  money  due  on  this  assessment.  Dr.  Beardsley 
says  that  the  parish  assessments  of  1813  amounted  to  $16,570.00 
and  not  quite  one  half  of  that  sum  was  afterwards  received. 
In  the  Journal  for  1817  there  is  a  list  of  seventy-five  parishes, 
fourteen  of  which  had  paid  their  assessments  in  full,  including 
the  parish  of  Christ  Church,  Middletown,  which  not  only  paid 
its  assessment  early,  but  paid  "  one  hundred  and  ninety  two 
dollars  more."  There  were  fifteen  parishes  that  had  paid 
their  assessments  only  in  part,  and  forty-six  parishes  that  had 
not  paid  any  of  the  assessment  of  1813.  In  the  Journal  for 
the  year   1853,  pp.  92-106,  the  amounts  assessed  in  August, 

1813,  against  the  seventy-five  parishes  is  given,  with  a  statement 
of  those  that  had  paid  nothing.  The  committee  reported  that 
some  of  these  parishes  were  not  then  recognized  by  the  geog- 
raphy, and  even  the  locality  was  not  quite  certain.  At  the 
annual  Convention  of  1854,  no  one  of  the  parishes  reported  as 
delinquent  for  the  assessments  of  1813  and  1832  had  paid  any 
part  thereof,  and  their  assessments  were  remitted. 

The  first  effort  for  a  missionary  society,  made  at  the  Con- 
vention of  1792,  was  reported  in  1793  to  have  been  too  general 
in  its  object  to  obtain  the  sanction  of  the  Legislature.  The 
Journal  of  the  1797  Convention  shows  that  money  had  been 
collected  "  for  the  purpose  of  supporting  Missionaries,"  but  in 
1798  such  money  was  applied  to  the  benefit  of  the  Episcopal 
Academy. 

At  the  annual  Convention  of  1813,  a  committee  was  appointed 
on  the  subject  of  a  missionary  society  for  the  Church  in  this 
State,  to  report  to  the  next  Convention.  That  Convention 
appointed  a  new  committee  and  at  the  October  Convention, 

1814,  they  reported  a  "  Constitution  for  the  establishment  of 
said  Society."  The  report  was  read  and  accepted  but  does 
not  appear  to  have  been  adopted.  At  the  annual  Convention 
of  181 5  a  committee  was  appointed  to  draft  a  constitution  for  a 
Bible  and  Prayer  Book  Society.  This  committee  reported  to 
the  annual  Convention  of  1816  and  their  report  was  approved, 
but  it  was  deemed  inexpedient  to  connect  said  Society  with 
the  Convention  and  the  matter  was  referred  to  the  consideration 
of  a  meeting  held  later  by  friends  of  the  cause.     The  Society 


98  THE    CHURCH 

was  formed  and  its  officers  were  reported  in  the  first  issue 
of  Swords'  "  Almanac  "  for  the  year  1817.  The  matter  of  a 
missionary  society  was  again  before  the  Convention  in  the 
spring  of  1817,  and  the  annual  Convention  of  1818  organized 
a  society  under  the  name  of  "  The  Protestant  Episcopal  Society 
for  the  Promotion  of  Christian  Knowledge."  Provision  was 
made  in  its  constitution  for  the  dissolution  and  absorption  of 
the  "  Bible  and  Common  Prayer  Book  Society."  The  Christian 
Knowledge  Society  is  now  known  as  the  "  Missionary  Society 
of  the  Diocese  of  Connecticut." 

Shortly  before  the  sitting  of  the  annual  Convention  of  181 5, 
Bishop  Griswold  of  the  Eastern  Diocese,  at  the  invitation  of  the 
Standing  Committee,  performed  Episcopal  acts  in  this  Diocese 
which  he  reports  in  his  address  to  the  Eastern  Convention  in 
1816.  It  appears  from  this  address  that  he  supposed  he  had 
been  invited  to  take  charge  in  Connecticut.  The  Middlesex 
"  Gazette "  for  June  15,  1815,  reports  the  confirmation  of 
twenty-two  persons  by  Bishop  Griswold  at  Christ  Church, 
Middletown,  on  Sunday,  June  4 ;  five  ordinations  Tuesday,  June 
6,  and  one  ordination  on  Friday,  June  9.  The  Convention 
was  held  June  7,  and  Bishop  Griswold  was  "  requested  to  take 
a  seat  in  the  Convention."  He  was  also  thanked  for  his  sermon 
at  the  ordination  at  Christ  Church  on  June  5,  not  June  6,  as 
reported  in  the  "  Gazette." 

The  October  Convention  of  181 6  voted  to  invite  the  Rt.  Rev. 
John  Henry  Hobart  of  New  York  to  perform  the  Episcopal 
Offices  in  this  Diocese.  He  accepted  and  delivered  the  sermon 
at  that  Convention.  Also  at  the  annual  Conventions  of  1817 
and  1818.  Dr.  Beardsley  says  that  Bishop  Plobart  confirmed 
in  Connecticut  3,057  persons,  only  eleven  less  than  the  entire 
number  by  Bishop  Jarvis  in  his  whole  fifteen  years  of  his  Epis- 
copate. Part  of  Bishop  Hobart's  Episcopal  acts  are  reported 
in  the  Middlesex  "  Gazette  "  issues  of  Feb.  29,  1816,  Nov,  14, 
1816,  and  Aug.  26,  1819,  and  in  the  "  Christian  Journal " 
for  October,  1817. 

The  Connecticut  Bible  Society  issued  a  large  edition  of  Bibles 
and  distributed  them  in  the  west,  particularly  in  Ohio.  The 
word  "  ye  "  was  substituted  for  zve  in  Acts  vi,  3.  In  conse- 
quence   of    this    edition,    the    October    Convention    of    1816 


IN    CONNECTICUT.  99 

instructed  their  Deputies  to  the  General  Convention  to  endeavor 
to  have  some  specific  edition  of  the  Old  and  New  Testament 
recognized.  This  resulted  in  the  adoption  of  the  standard 
version  now  in  use.  The  story  of  its  adoption  is  told  by  the 
Bishop  on  pages  38  and  39  of  the  Convention  Journal  for  1881. 

The  first  Episcopalian  to  be  elected  as  a  State  Officer  in 
Connecticut  was  Jonathan  Ingersoll,  one  of  the  wardens  of 
Trinity  Church,  New  Haven,  who  was  elected  Lieutenant 
Governor  in  1816. 

In  October,  1817,  Governor  Wolcott  appointed  as  usual  a 
minister  of  the  Standing  Order  to  preach  the  annual  Election 
Sermon  in  May,  1818.  At  the  same  time  he  appointed  the  Rev. 
Harry  Croswell,  Rector  of  Trinity  Parish,  New  Haven,  as  sub- 
stitute preacher,  in  case  of  failure  on  the  part  of  the  regular 
appointee.  The  latter  early  informed  the  Rev.  Mr.  Croswell 
of  his  intention  to  default.  Bishop  Hobart  advised  the  per- 
formance of  the  full  service  of  the  Church,  the  same  as  usual, 
and  the  use  of  Bishop  Seabury's  State  Prayers.  The  sermon 
was  preached  by  Dr.  Croswell  in  the  Center  Church  at  Hartford. 
Two  of  the  oldest  Divines  of  the  Standing  Order  were  seated  in 
the  pulpit.  This  was  the  first  time  an  Episcopal  minister  ever 
preached  the  State  sermon  in  Connecticut.  According  to  the 
usual  custom  the  sermon  was  printed.  In  1822,  Governor  Wol- 
cott appointed  Bishop  Brownell  to  preach  the  State  sermon  in 
May  of  that  year.  "  The  Governor,  State  Officers,  members 
of  the  Legislature,  and  a  numerous  body  of  the  clergy,  moved 
under  a  military  escort  to  the  Episcopal  church  at  New  Haven, 
where  Divine  Service  was  performed  and  an  eloquent  and 
patriotic  sermon  delivered  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Brownell." 
[Conn.  Mirror  of  May  6,  1822.]  This  is  the  first  time  that  the 
State  of  Connecticut  ever  worshiped  in  an  Episcopal  church. 
What  a  marked  contrast  this  shows  over  the  days  when  Rev. 
Abraham  Jarvis,  sometime  after  having  been  ordained  in  Eng- 
land, attended  an  Election  sermon  at  Hartford  and  the  preacher 
pointed  at  him  in  contempt,  saying  "  What  do  they  not  deserve 
who  cross  the  Atlantic  to  bring  Episcopal  tyranny  and  super- 
stition among  us?"  In  1828,  the  Rev.  Nathaniel  S.  Wheaton 
preached  the  Election  sermon.  These  three  are  the  only  Epis- 
copalians that  ever  delivered  the  Election  sermon.  Election 
sermons  were  discontinued  in  1830. 


lOO  THE    CHURCH 

The  Rev.  Thomas  C.  Brownell,  Assistant  Minister  of  Trinity 
Church,  New  York,  was  elected  Bishop  of  this  Diocese  at  the 
annual  Convention  held  in  New  Haven,  June  2,  1819.  At  New 
Haven,  on  Oct.  2^,  1819,  a  procession  from  the  house  of  Gover- 
nor Ingersoll  was  formed  and  proceeded  to  Trinity  Church, 
where  the  Rev.  Thomas  Church  Brownell  was  consecrated  to 
the  holy  office  of  Bishop,  by  the  Right  Rev.  Bishop  White, 
Right  Rev.  Bishop  Hobart,  and  Right  Rev.  Bishop  Griswold. 
Morning  prayers  were  read  by  the  Rev.  Reuben  Ives  and  a 
discourse  delivered  by  the  Right  Rev.  Bishop  White.  The 
degree  of  D.D.  was  conferred  by  Columbia  College  upon 
Bishop-elect  Brownell,  shortly  before  his  consecration. 

At  the  Convention  which  elected  Bishop  Brownell,  the  ven- 
erable Dr.  Richard  Mansfield,  in  the  ninety-seventh  year  of 
his  age,  was  present.  He  was  made  Doctor  of  Divinity  by 
Yale  in  1792,  the  first  Episcopalian  to  receive  that  honor.  He 
was  the  Rector  of  St.  James's  Church,  Derby,  for  seventy-one 
years  and  eight  months.  He  had  seen  the  Church  in  New 
Haven  grow  from  but  two  or  three  families  to  a  society  of  about 
2,000  souls.  The  only  other  minister  in  Connecticut  whose 
service  in  one  parish  exceeded  his  was  the  Rev.  Samuel  Nott, 
pastor  of  the  Congregational  church  at  Franklin,  who  served 
that  parish  seventy-one  years  and  ten  months.  Rev.  John 
Beach  of  Newtown  was  the  only  Episcopal  minister  of  fifty 
years  service  prior  to  the  close  of  the  Revolutionary  war. 
Dibblee  of  Stamford  and  Tyler  of  Norwich  both  served  before 
and  after  the  war  for  more  than  fifty  years  in  all ;  Hubbard  of 
New  Haven  nearly  fifty  years,  while  Croswell  of  New  Haven, 
Fogg  of  Brooklyn,  and  Shelton  of  Bridgeport,  each  served 
forty  or  more  years  in  the  same  parish. 

The  Theological  Seminary  of  New  York  was  transferred  to 
New  Haven  and  opened  Sept.  13,  1820,  but  was  transferred 
back  to  New  York  in  October,  1821.  Bishop  Brownell's 
address  to  the  Convention  in  1820  called  attention  to,  and  urged, 
Sunday  schools,  which  were  then  generally  established  through- 
out the  Diocese. 

A  *'  Commentary  on  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer "  was 
prepared  by  Bishop  Brownell  and  published  in  1823.  It  was 
the  first  work  of  the  kind  ever  prepared  in  this  country  and 


IN    CONNECTICUT.  lOl 

was  so  well  received  that  an  edition  was  afterwards  published 
by  Bishop  Hobart  of  New  York. 

Several  unsuccessful  efforts  had  been  made  to  change  the 
Episcopal  Academy  at  Cheshire  into  a  college.  At  the  annual 
Convention  of  1816,  a  committee  was  appointed  to  apply  to  the 
General  Assembly  for  an  act  of  incorporation  and  charter 
for  an  Episcopal  College  and  this  committee  was  continued  by 
the  annual  Convention  of  181 7. 

In  December,  1822,  at  the  house  of  Bishop  Brownell,  steps 
were  taken  to  renew  the  efforts  to  obtain  a  charter  for  an  Epis- 
copal College,  which  charter  was  granted  to  Washington  Col- 
lege, (now  Trinity,)  of  Hartford,  May  16,  1823.  It  was  said 
to  have  been  the  first  college  in  America  "  under  the  special 
patronage  and  guardianship  of  Episcopalians."  It  was  built 
in  1824,  and  Bishop  Brownell  was  its  first  President. 

On  Feb.  15,  1828,  Jacob  Oson,  a  man  of  color,  was  made 
deacon,  and  on  the  next  day  he  was  ordained  priest  with  a 
view  to  missionary  service  in  Africa.  The  Bishop's  address 
to  the  Convention  of  1829  refers  to  the  death  of  this  mission- 
ary, which  occurred  as  he  was  about  to  embark.  "  By  this 
dispensation  of  divine  Providence  one  of  the  first  efforts  in  our 
Church  in  the  cause  of  foreign  missions  has  been  defeated." 
At  that  time  there  was  an  African  Mission  School  in  the  Dio- 
cese, where  three  very  promising  young  men  of  color  were  in 
course  of  preparation  for  the  same  field  of  labor. 

At  the  sitting  of  the  General  Convention  of  the  Church  at 
Philadelphia,  in  August,  1829,  Bishop  Brownell  preached  a 
sermon  before  the  Domestic  and  Foreign  Missionary  Society. 
He  referred  to  the  destitute  condition  of  many  places  in  the 
southwest.  As  Bishop  Brownell  was  then  the  youngest  Bishop, 
it  was  arranged  that  he  should  make  an  Episcopal  visitation  to 
that  country.  Accordingly  he  started  early  in  November  and 
visited  parts  of  Ohio,  Kentucky,  Mississippi,  Georgia,  South 
Carolina,  and  other  of  the  Atlantic  States,  and  returned  home 
early  in  March,  1830,  having  traversed  an  extent  of  country 
of  at  least  six  thousand  miles,  three  hundred  of  which  he 
traveled  on  horseback.  He  performed  "  Episcopal  functions 
where  never  a  prelate  of  our  Church  had  before  been  wel- 
comed."     [Christian    Journal    for    1830.]      In    the    Bishop's 


I02  THE    CHURCH 

address  to  the  annual  Convention  of  this  Diocese  in  1830,  Bishop 
Brownell  gives  a  report  of  this  visitation.  In  his  address  to 
the  Convention  in  October,  1835,  he  states  that  the  Diocese  of 
Alabama  was  placed  under  his  charge  several  years  ago,  and 
refers  to  attending  the  annual  Convention  of  that  Diocese  at 
Tuscaloosa,  in  January,  1835,  and  performing  Episcopal  func- 
tions. In  his  Address  to  the  annual  Convention  of  this  Diocese 
in  1845,  he  refers  to  the  twenty-five  years  of  his  Episcopate 
with  a  summary  of  ordinations  and  confirmations,  and  adds — 
"  in  my  Visitation  in  the  Southwestern  States,  I  have  Conse- 
crated two  Churches  in  Kentucky,  four  in  Mississippi,  two  in 
Louisiana  and  two  in  Alabama,  and  have  confirmed  245  persons 
in  those  States." 

Bishop  Brownell  presided  over  the  General  Convention  at 
New  York  in  1853,  being  then  the  senior  Bishop,  instead  of  the 
youngest  Bishop,  as  he  was  in  1829. 

For  other  historical  matter  we  refer  to  the  "  Records  of 
Convocation  ",  printed  by  order  of  the  Convention  1904,  with 
many  valuable  historical  notices  by  the  Rev.  Joseph  Hooper, 
M.A,,  of  Durham,  and  to  the  Journals  of  the  Convention  from 
1792  to  date.  A  list  of  parishes  in  this  Diocese  with  dates  of 
organization  may  be  found  in  the  Journal  for  1878,  also  in  1891, 
to  which  is  added,  in  each  case,  the  date  when  the  present 
church  building  was  used.  That  of  Christ  Church,  West 
Haven,  was  first  used  in  1740,  and  in  1906  was  the  oldest  in 
Connecticut.  In  the  Journal  of  1896,  p.  179,  is  an  account  of 
extinct  parishes ;  of  the  Ancient  records,  in  the  Journal  for 
1897,  p.  175 ;  of  the  changes  in  parish  names,  in  the  Journal 
for  1900,  p.  112;  of  the  growth  of  the  Diocese,  in  the  Journal 
for  1901,  p.  2;  and  a  list  of  all  the  Deputies  from  Connecticut 
to  the  General  Convention  is  in  the  Journal  for  1904. 

And  it  may  be  of  interest  to  turn  to  the  Journal  of  1905  and 
compare  its  list  of  two  hundred  and  eleven  clergy,  besides  the 
Bishop,  and  a  total  of  just  exactly  that  number  of  places  of 
worship  in  this  Diocese,  with  the  fourteen  clergy  of  1783  with 
no  Bishop  and  about  forty-five  parishes ;  or  with  the  following 
list  of  twenty-five  Connecticut  clergy  from  the  Journal  of  the 
Triennial  Convention  of  1799,  when  there  were  about  sixty 
parishes. 


IN    CONNECTICUT.  IO3 

The  list  is  as  follows: 

The  Right  Rev.  Abraham  Jarvis,  D.D.,  Bishop. 

Rev.  Jeremiah  Learning,  residing  at  New  Haven. 

Rev.  John  Bowden,  D.D.,  Principal  of  the  Episcopal 
Academy  at  Cheshire. 

Rev.  Richard  Mansfield,  D.D.,  Rector  of  Christ  Church,  at 
Derby,  and  of  the  Churches  of  Oxford  and  Great  Hill. 

Rev.  Bela  Hubbard,  Trinity  Church,  New  Haven,  and  Christ 
Church,  West  Haven. 

Rev.  John  Tyler,  Christ  Church,  Norwich. 

Rev.  Daniel  Fogg,  Rector  of  Trinity  Church,  Pomphret. 

Rev.  William  Smith,  D.D.,  Rector  of  St.  Paul's  Church, 
Norwalk. 

Rev.  Philo  Shelton,  Rector  of  Trinity  Church,  Stratfield,  St. 
John's,  Fairfield,  and  a  Church  in  Weston. 

Rev.  Ashbel  Baldwin,  Rector  of  Christ  Church,  Stratford, 
and  Trinity  Church,  Trumbull. 

Rev.  Chauncey  Prindle,  Rector  of  Christ  Church,  Water- 
town,  and  St.  Peter's,  Plymouth. 

Rev.  Reuben  Ives,  Rector  of  St.  Peter's  Church,  Cheshire, 
and  the  Churches  at  Hamden  and  Southington. 

Rev.  Tilotson  Brownson,  Rector  of  St.  Peter's  Church, 
Waterbury,  and  the  Churches  at  Salem. 

Rev.  Truman  Marsh,  Rector  of  St.  John's  Church,  New 
Milford,  and  the  Churches  of  Roxbury  and  New  Preston. 

Rev.  Ambrose  Todd,  Rector  of  St.  Andrew's  Church,  Syms- 
bury,  and  St.  Peter's  Church,  Granby. 

Rev.  Solomon  Blakesley,  Rector  of  St.  Stephen's  Church  in 
East  Haddara. 

Rev.  Seth  Hart,  Rector  of  St.  Paul's  Church,  Wallingford, 
and  a  Church  in  Berlin.     (Christ  Church,  Worthington.) 

Rev.  Charles  Seabury,  Rector  of  St.  James's  Church,  New 
London. 

Rev.  Smith  Miles,  Rector  of  the  Churches  at  Chatham  and 
Middle  Haddam. 

Rev.  David  Butler,  Rector  of  Christ  Church,  Reading,  and 
the  Church  at  Ridgefield. 

Rev.  Alexander  V.  Griswold,  Rector  of  St.  Matthew's 
Church,  Bristol,  (East  Plymouth,)  St.  Mark's,  Harwinton, 
and  a  Church  in  Northfield. 


I04  THE    CHURCH 

Rev.  William  Green,  Rector  of  St,  John's,  Seabrook. 

Rev.  Calvin  White,  Deacon,  St.  John's  Church,  Stamford, 
and  a  Church  at  Horseneck. 

Rev.  Evan  Rogers,  Deacon,  the  Churches  of  Hebron  and 
Pomphret. 

Rev.  Bethel  Judd,  Deacon. 

The  names  of  the  Rev.  Daniel  Burhans,  D.D.,  Rector  of 
Trinity  Church,  Newtown,  and  John  Callahan,  Deacon,  should 
be  added,  to  make  the  list  complete. 


IN    CONNECTICUT.  I05 


THE  BISHOPS  OF  CONNECTICUT 

BRIEF   MENTION 

The  Right  Reverend  Samuel  Seabury,  D.D, 

The  first  American  Bishop  and  first  Bishop  of  Connecticut, 

for  eleven  years,  three  months  and  eleven  days.     Consecrated 

Nov.  14,  1784;   died  Feb.  25,  1796. 


The  Right  Reverend  Abraham  Jarvis,  D.D. 

The  eighth  American  Bishop  and  second  Bishop  of  Con- 
necticut, for  fifteen  years,  six  months  and  twelve  days.  Conse- 
crated Oct.  18,  1797;  died  May  13,  1813. 


The  Right  Reverend  John  Henry  Hobart,  D.D. 

The  eleventh  American  Bishop  and  third  Bishop  of  New 
York.  Consecrated  May  29,  181 1;  died  Sept.  12,  1830.  Act- 
ing Bishop  of  Connecticut  for  three  years  and  ten  days,  from 
Oct.  17,  1816,  to  Oct.  27,  1819. 


The  Right  Reverend  Thomas  Church  Brownell,  D.D. 

The  nineteenth  American  Bishop  and  third  Bishop  of  Con- 
necticut, for  forty-five  years,  two  months  and  ten  days.  Con- 
secrated Oct.  27,  1819;   died  Jan.  13,  1865. 


The  Right  Reverend  John  Williams,  D.D. 

The  fifty-fourth  American  Bishop  and  fourth  Bishop  of  Con- 
necticut, for  forty-seven  years,  three  months  and  eight  days, 
being  Assistant  Bishop  for  the  first  thirteen  years.  Conse- 
crated Oct.  29,  1851 ;  died  Feb.  7,  1899. 


The  Right  Reverend  Chauncey  Bunce  Brewster,  D.D. 

The  one  hundred  and  eighty-third  American  Bishop  and 
fifth  Bishop  of  Connecticut,  being  Bishop  Coadjutor  the  first 
year  of  his  episcopate.  Consecrated  Oct.  28,  1897,  one  hundred 
years  after  the  consecration  of  the  second  Bishop  of  Con- 
necticut. 


Io6  THE    CHURCH 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES 


The  Right  Reverend  Samuel  Seabury^  D.D. 

Samuel,  the  second  son  of  Samule  and  Abigail,  (Mumford,) 
Seabury,  was  born  at  North  Groton,  (now  Ledyard,)  Con- 
necticut, on  November  30,  1729;  died  Feb.  25,  1796,  in  the 
sixty-seventh  year  of  his  age.  Early  in  life  he  married  a  Miss 
Hicks  of  New  York,  who  died  before  1784  and  he  did  not 
marry  again..  At  the  time  of  his  birth  his  father  was  officiating 
as  a  licentiate  of  the  "  Standing  Order  "  in  the  meeting-house 
of  the  Second  Ecclesiastical  Society  of  Groton  located  in  North 
Groton,  but  soon  after  conformed  to  the  Church  of  England, 
was  ordained  in  England  and  became  the  first  incumbent  of 
St.  James's  Church,  New  London.  The  future  bishop  was 
educated  by  his  father  and  in  the  common  schools  of  the  town 
until  his  father's  removal  to  Hempstead,  Long  Island,  in  1742. 
He  entered  Yale  College  in  1744,  and  was  graduated  with  honor 
in  1748.  Mr.  Seabury  was  sent  by  his  father  to  Huntington, 
Long  Island,  as  "catechist"  in  1748,  in  which  position  he  was 
confirmed  by  the  Venerable  Society  with  a  salary  of  ten  pounds 
sterling  per  annum.  He  commenced  thfe  study  of  medicine 
while  at  Huntington  and  in  1752  went  to  Edinburgh  to  continue 
his  medical  course  until  of  age  to  present  himself  to  the  Bishop 
of  London  for  ordination. 

He  was  made  deacon  in  the  Chapel  of  Fulham  Palace  on  St. 
Thomas's  Day,  Dec.  21,  1753,  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  John  Thomas, 
Bishop  of  Lincoln,  acting  for  the  infirm  Bishop  of  London. 
Dr'.  Thomas  Sherlock.  He  was  ordained  priest  in  the  same 
chapel  on  Sunday,  December  23,  1753,  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  Richard 
Osbaldiston,  Bishop  of  Carlisle. 

He  was  immediately  appointed  by  the  Propagation  Society  to 
the  mission  of  Christ  Church,  New  Brunswick,  N.  J.  In  1757 
he  went  to  Grace  Church,  Jamaica,  from  which  he  removed  in 
1766  to  the  rectorship  of  St.  Peter's  Church,  Westchester 
County,  N.  Y.  To  add  to  his  small  income,  he  opened  while  at 
Westchester  a  classical  school. 

As  the  Revolution  approached,  with  his  friends  Dr.  Chandler, 
Dr.  Inglis,  and  the  Hon.  Isaac  Wilkins,  he  allied  himself  with 
the   cause  of   the  united   British   Empire,   which  to  his   mind 


,*MA 


•*,„ffi^ ' 


'.'<"! 


RT.    REV.    SAMUEL    SEABURY,    D.D. 


IN    CONNECTICUT.  107 

included  the  welfare  of  the  church  of  England,  and  wrote 
strongly  in  its  favor.  His  "Letters  of  a  Westchester  Farmer" 
are  an  excellent  specimen  of  his  style  in  political  controversy. 
He  was  also  for  several  years  the  Secretary  of  the  Voluntary 
Conventions  of  the  Clergy  of  New  York  and  New  Jersey,  which 
some  from  Connecticut  occasionally  attended. 

He  was  roughly  treated  by  the  patriots  in  his  neighborhood, 
compelled  at  various  times  to  conceal  himself  and  on  one  occa- 
sion was  taken  to  New  Haven  and  treated  with  much  indignity. 
Upon  his  release  from  confinement  he  returned  to  Westchester, 
but  was  soon  obliged,  early  in  1776,  to  close  the  churches  in 
his  parish  and  join  the  numerous  loyalists  in  the  city  of  New 
York.  After  the  departure  of  General  Washington  from  Man- 
hattan Island  in  September,  1776,  he  officiated,  in  turn  with 
other  clergymen  who  had  left  their  parishes,  for  the  refugees 
in  the  old  City  Hall  on  Wall  Street.  In  1778  he  was  appointed 
to  the  charge  of  St.  Andrew's  Church,  Staten  Island,  but  found 
it  unsafe  to  take  up  his  residence  there. 

His  support  for  seven  years  came  from  the  stipend  of  fifty 
pounds  a  year  from  the  Venerable  Society,  the  practice  of  medi- 
cine, and  his  chaplaincy  of  the  Royal  American  Regiment  of 
Colonel  Edmund  Fanning.  He  was  made  a  Doctor  in  Divinity 
by  Oxford  University  in  1778.  With  his  election  and  accept- 
ance of  the  Bishopric  of  Connecticut  came  a  new  period  in  Dr. 
Seabury's  life.  He  went  to  England  in  July,  1783,  in  the 
flagship  of  Admiral  Digby.  His  noble  and  unceasing  eflforts 
to  induce  the  Bishops  in  England  to  rise  above  political  and 
traditional  precedents  and  consecrate  him  under  a  special  act 
of  Parliament,  form  a  chapter  of  pathetic  interest  in  our  annals. 
In  the  summer  of  1784,  he  made  a  formal  application  to  the 
Bishops  of  the  Church  in  Scotland  to  consecrate  him.  Upon 
their  favorable  answer  he  journeyed  to  Aberdeen  and  was  con- 
secrated a  Bishop  in  the  Church  of  God,  in  Bishop  Skinner's 
chapel  in  Long  Acre,  Aberdeen  on  Sunday,  November  14,  1784, 
by  the  Primus,  Dr.  Robert  Kilgour  of  Aberdeen,  Dr.  Arthur 
Petrie  of  Moray  and  Ross,  and  Dr.  John  Skinner,  Coadjutor 
Bishop  of  Aberdeen.  He  returned  to  London  immediately 
after  and  sailed  for  America  in  March,  1785.  He  spent  some 
weeks  among  relatives  in  Nova  Scotia  and  arrived  at  Newport, 
R.  I.,  on  June  20,  1785. 


Io8  THE    CHURCH 

The  Right  Reverend  Abraham  Jarvis,  D.D. 

Abraham,  the  sixth  son  and  ninth  child  of  Captain  Samuel 
and  Naomi,  (Brush,)  Jarvis,  was  bom  at  Norwalk,  Conn.,  on 
May  5,  1739;  died  May  3,  1813,  nearly  seventy-four  years  of 
age.  Married  May  25,  1766,  Ann,  daughter  of  Samuel  Farmar 
of  New  York  City.  She  died  at  Cheshire,  Conn.,  Nov.  4,  1801, 
and  he  married,  second,  July  4,  1806,  Mrs.  Lucy,  widow  of 
Nathaniel  Lewis  of  Philadelphia.  He  was  a  born  Episcopalian, 
his  father  having  conformed  to  the  Church  of  England  two 
years  before  the  Bishop  was  born.  He  was  carefully  trained 
in  the  district  school  and  at  home,  and  then  placed  under  the 
tuition  of  the  Rev.  Noah  Wells,  the  Congregational  minister  of 
Stratford,  to  be  prepared  for  college.  He  became  a  student  at 
Yale  when  eighteen  and  was  graduated  with  honor  in  1761. 

He  went  immediately  after  to  Middletown  to  officiate  as  lay 
reader  in  Christ  Church.  He  also  pursued  by  himself  a  course 
in  theology,  presumably  set  forth  for  him  by  the  learned  Dr. 
Samuel  Johnson, 

About  1762  it  becoming  necessary  to  leave  his  work  to  be 
inoculated  for  the  small  pox,  he  resided  for  several  months  at 
Elizabethtown,  N.  J.,  in  the  family  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Thomas 
Bradbury  Chandler,  the  well-read  theologian  and  acute  pleader 
for  an  American  Episcopate.  Under  him  he  probably  com- 
pleted his  course  in  theology. 

In  the  fall  of  1763,  in  company  with  his  intimate  friend,  Bela 
Hubbard,  and  William  Walter  of  Roxbury,  Mass.,  he  sailed  for 
England  to  seek  holy  orders.  His  expenses  were  defrayed  by 
a  subscription  of  the  members  of  the  Middletown  parish.  He 
was  made  deacon  in  "  the  royal  Chapel  of  St.  James,  West- 
minster," on  Sunday,  February  5,  1764,  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  Fred- 
erick Keppel,  Bishop  of  Exeter. 

He  was  ordained  priest  in  "  the  parish  Church  of  St.  James, 
Westminster  ",  on  Sunday,  February  19,  1764,  by  the  Rt.  Rev. 
Charles  Lyttleton,  Bishop  of  Carlisle. 

Both  of  these  ordinations,  at  which  his  companions  also  were 
ordained,  were  by  special  commission  from  the  aged  and  feeble 
Bishop  of  London,  Dr.  Richard  Osbaldiston,  who,  as  had  his 
predecessors,  exercised  jurisdiction  over  the  American  Colonies. 
Mr.  Jarvis  sailed  for  America  in  April  and  was  again  at  work  in 


RT.    REV.    ABRAHAM    JARVIS,    D.D. 


IN    CONNECTICUT.  109 

June.  He  had  been  duly  chosen  as  Rector  of  Christ  Church, 
Middletown.  An  unusual  salary  of  seventy  pounds  sterling  was 
pledged  to  him  by  the  parish.  For  some  reason  not  now  to  be 
ascertained,  the  Venerable  Society  declined  to  continue  the 
stipend  of  twenty  pounds  which  had  been  allowed  to  the  Rev. 
Ichabod  Camp,  the  first  Rector  and  Missionary.  Mr.  Jarvis 
became  a  true  pastor,  not  only  for  the  people  in  Middletown,  but 
in  all  the  surrounding  country.  He  greatly  encouraged  the 
small  band  of  Churchmen  in  Hartford  by  his  presence,  his  ser- 
vices and  his  advice.  There  would  have  been  rapid  growth 
in  Hartford  had  the  suggestion  to  make  Middletown  and  Hart- 
ford a  mission  under  Mr.  Jarvis  met  with  the  approval  of  the 
authorities  in  England. 

His  energy  and  success  as  a  parish  priest  are  shown  by  a 
memorandum  made  a  few  years  after  his  ordination,  in  which 
three  hundred  and  sixty-five  souls,  of  whom  one  hundred  and 
fifty  were  communicants,  are  recorded  as  under  his  charge. 
With  the  continued  regard  and  affection  of  his  parishioners,  he 
served  them  in  holy  things  for  thirty-five  years. 

Upon  the  death  of  Bishop  Seabury,  at  the  special  Convention 
held  in  Trinity  Church,  New  Haven,  on  May  5,  1796,  he  was 
chosen  Bishop.  As  there  had  been  a  diversity  of  opinion 
among  the  clergy  and  some  opposition  by  prominent  laymen, 
he  immediately  declined  the  election. 

When  Dr.  Bowden,  who  in  October,  1796,  had  been  elected, 
finally  declined  the  Episcopate,  Mr.  Jarvis  was  unanimously 
elected  at  the  annual  convention  held  in  St.  James's  Church, 
Derby,  on  June  7,  1797.  He  accepted  and  was  consecrated  in 
Trinity  Church,  New  Haven,  on  the  feast  of  St.  Luke,  October 
18,  1797.  The  sermon  was  preached  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  William 
Smith,  of  St.  Paul's  Church,  Norwalk.  It  is  one  of  the  five 
instances  in  the  history  of  the  American  Church  when  the  ser- 
mon at  the  consecration  of  a  Bishop  has  been  by  a  priest.  The 
others  are:  The  Rev.  Dr.  William  Smith,  Provost  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  Pennsylvania,  preached  at  the  consecration  of  Dr. 
Claggett,  1792;  Dr.  Robert  Smith,  1795;  and  Dr.  Bass,  1797. 
The  Rev.  Dr.  Frederick  Beasley  preached  at  the  consecration 
of  Mr.  Chase  in  1819. 

The  second  Bishop  of  Connecticut  was  faithful  in  his  admin- 
istration of  the  Diocese  and  saw  a  moderate  but  real  growth. 
7 


no  THE    CHURCH 

During  his  later  years  he  was  afiflicted  with  asthma  and  any 
clerical  duty  was  done  with  difficulty,  but  he  never  allowed  his 
bodily  infirmity  to  interfere  with  his  official  and  religious  obli- 
gations. In  1799  he  removed  to  Cheshire,  where  the  Episcopal 
Academy,  under  Dr.  Bowden,  was  coming  into  favorable  knowl- 
edge of  the  people. 

In  1803  Bishop  Jarvis  removed  to  New  Haven,  where  he 
passed  the  remainder  of  his  days. 

When  the  present  Trinity  Church  was  erected,  his  body  was 
removed  from  the  public  cemetery  and  buried  beneath  the 
chancel.  An  elegant  Gothic  monument,  with  a  classic  and 
affectionate  Latin  inscription  written  by  his  son,  the  distin- 
guished scholar.  Dr.  Samuel  Farmar  Jarvis,  adorns  the  walls 
of  the  church. 


These  sketches  of  Bishop  Seabury  and  Bishop  Jarvis  are 
mainly  taken  from  the  historical  notes  by  the  Rev,  Joseph 
Hooper,  in  the  "  Records  of  Convocation." 


The  Right  Reverend  John  Henry  Hobart,  D.D. 

John  Henry,  son  of  Capt.  Enoch  and  Hannah,  (Pratt,) 
Hobart,  was  born  at  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  Sept.  14,  1775,  died 
Sept.  12,  1830 ;  married  in  the  spring  of  1800,  to  Mary  Goodwin 
Chandler,  daughter  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Thomas  Bradbury  Chandler, 
of  Elizabethtown,  N.  J.  His  father  died  when  he  was  one  year 
old,  so  that  his  early  training  fell  wholly  upon  his  pious  and 
talented  mother.  He  was  received  into  the  Episcopal  Academy 
at  Philadelphia  when  he  was  nine  years  of  age.  In  1788  he 
entered  the  College  of  Philadelphia,  and  in  the  autumn  of  1791 
was  transferred  to  Princeton  College,  where  he  was  graduated 
in  1793,  with  the  highest  honors  of  his  class.  He  was  tutor  at 
Princeton  1796- 1798,  and  studied  theology  under  Bishop  White. 
He  was  ordained  deacon,  June  3,  1798,  and  settled  over  two 
small  Churches  near  Philadelphia,  Trinity  Church  at  Oxford, 
and  All  Saints  at  Perkiomen,  Pa.,  until  1799,  when  he  had 
charge  of  Christ  Church,  New  Brunswick,  N.  J.  In  May,  1800, 
he  went  to  St.  George's  Church,  Hempstead,  L.  I.,  but  was 
called  to  Trinity  Church,  New  York,  in  September  of  that  year 


RT.   REV.  THOMAS   CHURCH  BROWNELL,  D.D. 


IN    CONNECTICUT.  Ill 

as  assistant  minister.  In  1806  he  received  the  degree  of  Doctor 
of  Divinity  from  Union  College  and  in  181 1  he  was  elected 
Assistant  Bishop  of  the  Diocese  of  New  York.  He  was  conse- 
crated in  Trinity  Church,  New  York,  May  29,  181 1,  by  Bishop 
White,  by  whom  he  had  previously  been  both  confirmed  and 
ordained.  "  He  had  a  mind  that  never  wearied  ;  he  had  a  nerve 
that  never  was  relaxed."  A  long  list  of  his  publications  may 
be  found  in  Sprague's  "  Annals  of  the  American  Pulpit," 
Vol.  V. 


The  Right  Reverend  Thomas  Church  Brownell,  D.D., 
LL.D. 

Thomas  Church,  eldest  son  of  Sylvester  and  Mercy, 
(Church,)  Brownell,  born  at  Westport,  Mass.,  Oct.  19,  1779; 
died  at  Hartford,  Conn.,  Jan.  13,  1865.  Married  Aug.  6, 
1811,  Charlotte,  daughter  of  Tertullus  Dickinson  of  Lansing- 
burgh,  N.  Y.,  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Butler,  Rector  of  St.  Paul's 
Church,  Troy,  N.  Y.  She  was  an  Episcopalian,  and  thus  by 
this  marriage  he  was  for  the  first  time  brought  into  intimate 
relations  with  Episcopalians.  At  the  age  of  fifteen  he  was  a 
teacher  in  one  of  the  common  schools.  After  a  preliminary 
education  at  the  Bristol  Academy,  Taunton,  Mass.,  he  entered 
Brown  University  but  changed  to  Union  College  in  1802,  where 
he  was  graduated  with  highest  honors  in  1804.  In  1805  he  was 
tutor  in  Greek  and  Latin,  and  in  1806  professor  of  logic  and 
belles  leitres.  He  studied  theology  while  in  College  under  the 
Rev.  Dr.  Eliphalet  Nott,  who  became  president  of  Union  Col- 
lege in  1804,  and  made  young  Brownell  tutor  and  professor  as 
before  stated.  About  1809  he  was  appointed  professor  of 
Chemistry  and  Mineralogy  with  leave  to  spend  a  year  in  Europe 
in  the  study  of  chemistry  and  other  sciences.  He  had  intended 
to  enter  the  Congregational  ministry,  but  being  convinced  of 
the  historical  and  scriptural  grounds  of  Episcopacy  he  was  bap- 
tized by  the  Rev.  Cyrus  Stebbins  of  Schenectady,  N.  Y.,  Sept. 
5,  1813,  and  shortly  after  confirmed.  He  was  ordained  deacon 
by  Bishop  Hobart,  April  10,  1816,  and  priest  by  the  same  Bishop, 
Aug.  4,  1816.  In  1814,  he  was  appointed  professor  of  rhetoric 
and  chemistry  at  Union  College.  After  being  made  deacon,  in 
1816,  he  was  missionary  in  Schenectady,  and  its  vicinity,  and  in 


112  THE    CHURCH 

1817  he  became  assistant  minister  of  Trinity  Church,  New 
York,  where  he  remained  until  he  was  elected  Bishop  of  Con- 
necticut in  1819,  but  a  little  over  three  years  after  he  was  made 
Deacon,  For  many  years  he  was  President  of  the  Retreat  for 
the  Insane  at  Hartford.  The  last  twelve  years  of  his  long  epis- 
copate he  was,  by  seniority,  the  Presiding  Bishop  of  the  Church 
in  America.  For  other  data,  see  the  preceding  article  on  the 
Church  in  Connecticut.  Besides  the  Prayer  Book  there  men- 
tioned, he  published  "  Selections  on  the  Religion  of  the  Heart 
and  Life ",  the  "  Christian's  Walk  and  Consolation ",  an 
abridgement  of  an  "  English  Commentary  on  the  New  Testa- 
ment "  and  the  "  Errors  of  the  Times  ",  being  his  charge  to  the 
clergy  in  1843. 

Dr.  Beardsley  says :  "  His  equability,  his  sagacity,  the 
impartiality  of  his  determinations,  the  largeness  of  his  views, 
the  avoidance  of  needless  collisions,  the  decision  of  his  conduct, 
when  decision  became  needful,  had  their  result  in  the  strong  and 
united  and  confiding  Diocese.  He  sought  no  constrained  uni- 
formity. Pie  entertained  no  fanciful  ideal.  He  leaned  towards 
no  extreme  tendency.  He  was  steadfast,  because  his  mind  was 
clear.  He  brushed  away  all  that  was  not  essential  to  any  ques- 
tion or  purpose,  or  smiled  and  suffered  it  to  pass  by.  He 
recognized  the  right  of  all.  No  one  had  cause  to  suppose  him- 
self wronged  with  him  by  any  prejudice;  and  when  'swift  to 
hear,  slow  to  speak,  and  very  slow  to  wrath',  he  spoke,  at  length, 
the  Church  listened  and  was  satisfied." 

A  colossal  statue  of  Bishop  Brownell,  the  gift  of  his  son- 
in-law,  Gordon  W.  Burnham,  stands  on  the  campus  of  Trinity 
College. 

The  Right  Reverend  John  Williams,  D.D.,  LL.D. 

John,  son  of  Ephraim  and  Emily,  (Trowbridge,)  Williams, 
was  born  at  North  Deerfield,  Mass.,  Aug.  30,  181 7.  His  father 
was  a  lawyer  and  author  of  the  first  volume  of  the  Massachu- 
setts Reports.  His  youthful  education  was  in  his  native  town 
and  his  Unitarian  parents  trained  him  in  that  faith.  Later  he 
attended  an  academy  of  high  reputation  at  Northfield,  and 
entered  Harvard  College  in  1831.  After  two  years  he  changed  to 
Trinity  College,  Hartford,  where  he  was  graduated  in  1835.  His 


RT.    REV.    JOHN    WILLIAMS,    D.D. 


IN    CONNECTICUT.  I  13 

discussions  at  Harvard  with  a  friend  and  a  careful  study  of  the 
Book  of  Coinmon  Prayer  led  him  to  the  Episcopal  Church  and 
caused  him  to  transfer  to  a  Church  College  with  the  consent  of 
his  father.  Having  become  a  candidate  for  noly  orders,  he 
entered  the  General  Theological  Seminary  at  New  York  in  1835, 
but  was  called  home  by  the  illness  of  his  father,  with  whom  he 
remained  until  his  death.  He  completed  his  theological  studies 
with  the  Rev.  S.  F.  Jarvis,  D.D.,  of  Middletown,  Conn.,  and 
was  ordained  deacon  by  Bishop  Brownell,  in  Christ  Church, 
Middletown,  Sept.  2,  1838,  and  priest  by  the  same  Bishop  in  the 
same  church,  Sept.  26,  1841.  He  was  tutor  in  Trinity  College, 
1837  to  1840,  after  which  he  spent  about  a  year  traveling  with 
his  mother  in  England  and  on  the  Continent.  For  some  months 
he  assisted  Bishop  Luscombe  at  the  Chapel  of  the  British 
Embassy  in  Paris.  He  was  assistant  minister  in  Christ  Church, 
Middletown,  1841  to  1842,  and  Rector  of  St.  George's,  Schenec- 
tady, N.  Y.,  1842  to  1848.  He  was  elected  President  of  Trinity 
College  and  removed  to  Hartford  in  1848,  holding  that  office 
until  1853. 

He  was  elected  Assistant  Bishop  of  Connecticut  at  St.  John's 
church,  Waterbury,  June  11,  1851,  and  was  consecrated  in  St. 
John's  Church,  Hartford,  Oct.  29,  185 1,  by  Bishops  Brownell, 
Hopkins,  DeLancey,  Eastburn,  Chase,  Henshaw  and  Burgess. 

He  was  Assessor  to  the  Presiding  Bishop  and  Chairman  of 
the  House  of  Bishops  by  election  from  Oct.  26,  1883,  imtil  he 
became  Presiding  Bishop  of  the  Church  on  the  death  of  Bishop 
Alfred  Lee  of  Delaware,  April  12,  1887. 

In  addition  to  these  other  duties,  he  was  a  Junior  Fellow  of 
Trinity  College,  1845  to  1849;  Professor  of  History,  1849  to 
1853;  Lecturer  on  History,  1853  to  1892;  Trustee,  since  1848; 
Visitor,  since  1853;  Vice  Chancellor  and  Chancellor,  since  1865. 
He  was  the  founder  of  Berkeley  Divinity  School,  Middletown, 
in  1854,  and  was  its  Dean  and  Professor  of  Doctrinal  Theology 
and  Liturgies  until  his  death. 

He  was  made  Doctor  of  Divinity  by  Union  College,  1847; 
Trinity,  1849;  Columbia,  1851,  and  Yale,  1883,  and  made 
Doctor  of  Laws  by  Hobart  College  in  1870. 

Entered  into  rest  from  his  home  in  Middletown,  February  7, 
1899,  aged  81  years,  5  months  and  8  days,  and  was  buried  in  the 
Indian  Hill  Cemetery,  Middletown,  Feb.  10,  1899. 


114  THE    CHURCH 

We  quote  from  the  "  Commemorative  and  Biographical 
Record  of  Middlesex  County,"  as  follows : 

"  Bishop  Williams  was  famous  as  a  bishop  and  as  a  wit.  His 
humor  was  of  a  character  that  was  subtle,  and  his  manner  digni- 
fied, yet  gentle,  kindly  and  lovable.  His  personality  attracted 
to  him  the  love  of  his  people,  and  to  them  there  will  never  be 
another  Bishop  Williams.     He  was  a  great  and  good  man." 


The  Right  Reverend  Chauncey  Bunce  Brewster,  D.D. 

Chauncey  Bunce,  the  eldest  son  of  the  Rev.  Joseph  and  Sarah, 
(Bunce,)  Brewster,  was  born  on  September  5,  1848,  at  Wind- 
ham, Conn.  His  father  was  then  Rector  of  St.  Paul's  Church 
in  that  pleasant  village,  but  soon  after  of  St.  Paul's,  Walling- 
ford,  whence  he  removed  to  New  Haven,  and  became  Rector  of 
Christ  Church,  in  which  position  he  remained  highly  esteemed 
and  beloved  for  nearly  thirty  years.  The  Rev.  Joseph  Brewster 
ended  his  useful  life  on  Nov.  20,  1895,  during  his  incumbency 
of  St.  Michael's  Church,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 

It  is  an  interesting  and  unusual  fact  that  he  gave  three  sons  to 
the  ministry.  The  family  is  one  that  has  been  highly  honored 
in  New  England,  and  especially  in  Connecticut.  It  can  trace 
its  ancestry  directly  to  the  elder  of  the  Plymouth  Colony, 
William  Brewster. 

After  a  careful  preparation  in  the  Hopkins  Grammar  School, 
Chauncey  Brewster  entered  Yale  College,  graduating  with 
honors  in  1868  and  having  the  distinction  of  being  class  orator. 
During  the  collegiate  year  1870-71  he  was  tutor  at  Yale  College. 
He  was  well  trained  in  the  studies  necessary  for  the  holy  minis- 
try at  Berkeley  Divinity  School,  Middletown,  Conn.  He  was 
made  deacon  in  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Trinity,  Middletown, 
on  Wednesday,  May  29,  1872,  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  Dr.  John  Wil- 
liams. He  spent  his  diaconate  as  assistant  to  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Deshon  at  St.  Andrew's  Church,  Meriden,  Conn.  On  May  30, 
1873,  he  was  ordained  priest  in  St.  Andrew's,  Meriden,  by 
Bishop  Williams,  and  soon  after  accepted  the  rectorship  of  the 
historic  parish  of  Christ  Church,  Rye,  N.  Y.,  where  he  made 
full  proof  of  his  ministry. 

In  1 88 1  he  became  Rector  of  Christ  Church,  Detroit,  Mich. 
Besides  his  round  of  parish  duty  he  was  called  to  occupy  several 


RT.    REV.    CHAUNCEY    BUNCE    BREWSTER,    D.D. 


IN    CONNECTICUT.  I  15 

diocesan  positions  of  importance,  being  a  member  of  the  Stand- 
ing Committee  and  deputy  from  that  Diocese  to  the  General 
Convention  of  1883. 

In  1885  he  accepted  a  call  to  Grace  Church,  Baltimore,  which 
had  been  served  by  such  men  as  Bishop  Atkinson  and  Bishop 
Coxe.  His  last  parish  was  Grace  Church,  Brooklyn  Heights. 
In  the  Diocese  of  Long  Island  he  has  been  President  of  the 
Standing  Committee,  Chancellor  of  the  Cathedral  of  the  Incar- 
nation, a  Trustee  of  the  Church  Charity  Foundation,  and  Chair- 
man of  other  boards  and  committees.  He  was  a  deputy  to  the 
General  Convention  of  1892  and  also  to  that  of  1895.  He  was 
by  the  General  Convention  of  1895  appointed  on  the  Commis- 
sion on  Church  Unity,  and  has  been  for  some  years  a  member 
of  the  Board  of  Managers  of  the  Domestic  and  Foreign  Mis- 
sionary Society. 

His  election  by  the  Diocesan  Convention  at  St.  John's,  Water- 
bury,  on  Tuesday,  June  8,  1897,  called  him  back  to  serve  his 
native  State  as  Bishop  Coadjutor.  He  received  the  degree  of 
Master  of  Arts  in  course  from  Yale,  and  that  of  Doctor  in 
Divinity  from  Trinity  College  in  1897. 

Dr.  Brewster  has  written  various  review  articles  and  is  the 
author  of  a  series  of  Good  Friday  addresses,  entitled  "  The  Key 
of  Life,"  published  in  1895. 

The  foregoing  sketch  was  prepared  by  the  Rev.  Joseph 
Hooper  and  published  in  the  "  Jarvis  Centenary,"  1897.  A 
recent  work  of  Bishop  Brewster  is  worthy  of  special  mention. 
It  is  entitled  "  Aspects  of  Revelation,  being  the  Baldwin  Lec- 
tures for  1900.  By  Chauncey  B.  Brewster,  D.D.,  Bishop  of 
Connecticut."  These  lectures  were  delivered  at  the  University 
of  Michigan  and  published  by  Longmans,  Green  &  Co.,  New 
York,  1901.     300  octavo  pages. 


Il6  THE    CHURCH 

SYNOPSIS  OF  CONNECTICUT  LAWS  RELATING 
TO  ECCLESIASTICAL  MATTERS 

1636-1821, 

Compiled    from   Colonial    Records   and   Statute   Laws   of  the 
Colony  and  State. 

1636.  The  Court,  April  26,  1636,  ratified  and  confirmed  the 
formation  of  the  Church  on  the  River  of  Connecticut,  composed 
of  members  dismissed  from  the  Church  at  Watertown,  Mass. 

1637.  Church  officers  were  exempted  from  military  duty 
March  8,  1637. 

1638-9.  The  Fundamental  Orders  of  1638-9,  between 
Windsor,  Hartford,  and  Wethersfield,  recite  in  the  preamble, 
that  they  confederated  "  together  to  maintain  and  preserve  the 
liberty  and  purity  of  the  Gospel  of  our  Lord  Jesus,  which  we 
now  profess,  as  also  the  discipline  of  the  Churches,"  but  there 
is  not  a  word  in  the  body  of  the  "  Orders  "  that  refers  to 
ecclesiastical  affairs. 

1642.  Among  the  capital  laws  passed  Dec.  i,  1642,  idolatry 
and  blasphemy  were  punishable  with  death.  This  was  dropped 
as  to  idolatry  in  the  revision  of  1784,  then  changed  to  whipping 
on  the  naked  body,  not  exceeding  forty  stripes,  or  sitting  in 
the  pillory  one  hour. 

1644.  Minister's  support  was  first  provided  for  Oct.  25, 
1644,  requiring  the  people  to  be  called  together  "  that  every  man 
voluntarily  set  down  what  he  is  willing  to  allow  " ;  those  refus- 
ing, to  be  rated  by  authority  and  collected  as  other  debts. 

1650.  In  1650,  the  first  code  of  laws  was  enacted,  but  it 
was  over  a  century  and  a  half  before  it  was  printed.  It  was 
distributed  in  manuscript  and  read  at  times  in  various  public 
meetings.  Excommunicated  persons  as  well  as  others  were 
given  power  to  make  their  wills.  The  Selectmen  were  in- 
structed to  "  have  a  vigilant  eye  over  their  brethren  and  neigh- 
bors "  for  having  their  children  and  servants  educated  and 
"once  a  week  at  least,  catechised  in  the  grounds  and  principles 
of  religion,"  and  if  not,  the  Selectmen  should  bind  out  such 
children  for  such  instruction.  Substantially  this  law  was  in 
force  until  1821. 


IN    CONNECTICUT.  II7 

It  was  forbidden  to  .behave  contemptuously  "  towards  the 
Word  or  the  Messengers  thereof" ;  the  penalty  for  the  second 
offense  was  a  fine  of  5  pounds,  or  to  stand  two  hours  in  public 
"  upon  a  Lecture  day,  with  a  paper  fixed  on  his  breast  written 
with  Capital  Letters, — an  open  and  obstinate  contemner  of 
god's  holy  ordinances."     In  force  until  1750. 

Wheresoever  Gospel  Service  was  held  on  Sunday,  "every 
person  shall  duly  resort  and  attend  thereto",  also  on  public 
Fasts  and  Thankgivings,  or  be  subject  to  a  fine  of  5  shillings. 
The  civil  authority,  until  1750,  had  power  and  liberty  to  see  "the 
rules  of  Christ's  Church  observed  in  every  Church  according  to 
His  Word,"  and  to  deal  with  any  Church  member  "so  it  be  done 
in  a  civil  and  not  in  an  ecclesiastical  way," 

All  male  persons  sixteen  years  old  and  upwards  who  did  not 
voluntarily  contribute,  were  taxed  for  the  minister's  rate  accord- 
ing to  the  list  of  persons  and  estates,  (except  Magistrates  and 
Elders,)  until  1821,  although  voluntary  contributions  were 
dispensed  with  in  1697,  and  after  1799  the  polls  or  persons  of 
those  under  21  years  of  age  were  put  in  the  list  at  half  the 
value  of  adults. 

1656,  7  and  8.  In  October,  1656,  towns  and  persons  were 
forbidden  to  entertain,  or  unnecessarily  speak  to  "  Quakers, 
Ranters,  Adamites,  or  such  like  notorious  heritiques,"  under 
penalty  of  5  pounds  per  week,  and  the  magistrates  had  power 
to  send  them  to  prison  for  securing  them  until  they  could  con- 
veniently be  sent  out  of  the  jurisdiction.  In  1657,  the  books  or 
manuscripts  of  the  Quakers  were  also  suppressed  and  turned 
over  to  the  Elders,  or  by  a  later  act,  to  the  Court.  In  Oct.,  1658, 
Magistrates  had  power  to  punish  all  heretics  by  banishment  or 
corporal  punishment,  also  to  inflict  the  same  punishment  on  any 
one  instrumental  in  bringing  such  persons  into  the  Colony.  In 
July,  1675,  the  penalty  for  non-attendance  of  public  worship 
was  suspended  as  to  Quakers ;  also  the  imprisonment  of  them, 
provided  they  do  not  gather  in  assemblies  nor  make  disturb- 
ance.    In  May,  1706,  the  law  against  heretics  was  repealed. 

In  March,  1657-8  all  persons  were  prohibited  from  embody- 
ing themselves  "  into  Church  estate  without  consent  of  the 
General  Court  and  approbation  of  the  neighboring  Churches." 
This  was  in  force  until  1750.     Prior  to  1657  the  Churches  and 


Il8  THE    CHURCH 

towns  seem  to  have  grown  up  without  special  legislation  and 
without  clearly  defined  distinctions  between  the  Church  and  the 
Town.  In  1643  when  the  Assembly  acted  upon  certain  troubles 
between  Mr.  Smith  and  the  people  of  Wethersfield,  they  ordered 
a  copy  of  the  report  sent  to  Mr.  Smith  and  to  the  "  Towne  " 
instead  of  to  the  Church.  Later  they  imposed  a  fine  of  10 
pounds  on  any  one  who  should  repeat  any  complaint  against 
Mr.  Smith  of  which  he  had  been  cleared  by  the  Court.  After 
1657,  special  acts  were  passed  for  the  formation  of  new 
Churches  in  the  respective  towns,  and  when  there  were  more 
than  one  Church  in  one  town,  the  bounds  of  each  parish  were 
generally  fixed  by  the  Assembly. 

The  act  of  March  8,  1657-8,  also  forbade  the  people  from 
entertaining  or  attending  any  ministry  or  church  administration 
"  disinct  and  separate  from  and  in  opposition  to  that  which  is 
.  .  .  dispensed  by  the  settled  and  approved  minister  of  the 
place,  except  it  be  by  approbation  of  this  Court  and  the  neigh- 
boring churches."  Provided  '  this  act  shall  not  hinder  any  pri- 
vate meetings  of  Godly  Persons  .  .  .  with  the  allowance  of 
the  settled  minister."  This  law  was  intended  only  to  regulate 
churches  of  the  Standing  Order  and  was  passed  especially  for 
suppressing  the  seceding  Congregationalists  of  Hartford.  In 
so  far  as  it  could  be  construed  to  apply  to  any  other  denomin- 
ation, it  was  practically  annulled  by  the  toleration  acts  of  1665 
and  1669.     It  was  in  force  until  1750. 

1662.  In  October,  1662,  it  was  declared  that  all  laws  and 
orders  of  the  Colony  stand  in  full  force  "  unless  any  be  cross  to 
ye  Tenor  of  our  charter." 

1664.  Oct.  13,  1664,  upon  a  writing  from  "several  persons 
in  the  Colony,  (seven  residents  of  Hartford  and  Windsor,  call- 
ing themselves  members  of  the  Church  of  England,)  that  they 
are  not  entertained  in  Church  fellowship,  the  Court  recom- 
mended the  ministers  and  Churches  to  entertain  persons  "  who 
are  of  an  honest  and  Godly  conversation",  by  an  "  explicit 
covenant,  and  that  they  have  their  children  baptised."  A  copy 
of  this  recommendation  was  sent  to  every  minister  in  the 
Colony.     [Stiles'  Windsor,  Vol.  i,  p.  196.] 

After  a  long  controversy,  it  was  ordered  in  March,  1657-8. 
that  all  prosecutions  cease  between  the  Church  in  Hartford  and 
the  withdrawers  until  the  matters  in  controversy  are  brought  to 


IN    CONNECTICUT.  II9 

an  issue  in  a  way  that  the  Court  shall  determine.  The  assembly 
of  New  England  Elders  at  Boston,  1657,  approved  of  the  half- 
way covenant  as  did  also  the  Boston  Synod  of  1862,  but  in  1664 
is  the  first  specific  reference  to  it  noticed  in  the  Colonial  Records. 
The  half-way  covenant  was  an  issue  at  Hartford  in  1666,  being 
opposed  by  Mr.  Whiting  and  his  followers,  and  Mr.  Whiting's 
petition  "for  a  distinct  walking"  and  to  "practice  the  Congre- 
gational way  without  disturbance "  was  granted  in  October, 
1669.  Numerous  other  matters  relating  to  special  legislation 
for  particular  churches  were  from  time  to  time  before  the  Gen- 
eral Assembly. 

1665.  In  April,  1665,  it  was  enacted  that  all  persons  of  civil 
lives  may  freely  enjoy  the  liberty  of  their  consciences  and  thfe 
worship  of  God  in  that  way  which  they  think  best,  provided  that 
this  liberty  tend  not  to  the  disturbance  of  the  public,  or  mainten- 
ance of  the  ministry.     Omitted  from  the  revision  of  1672. 

1667.  In  May,  1667,  Indians  were  forbidden  to  work  or  play 
on  the  Sabbath  under  a  penalty  of  5  shillings  or  sit  in  the  public 
stocks  one  hour,  but  it  was  a  year  later  when  this  provision  was 
extended  to  all,  at  which  time  the  general  law  against  work, 
play,  travel,  etc.,  on  the  Sabbath,  Fast  and  Thanksgiving  days, 
or  staying  outside  of  the  meeting-house  during  service,  was 
passed,  and  with  various  changes  was  continued  in  the  revision 
of  182 1.  The  Sabbath  was  defined  as  from  sunset  on  Saturday 
until  midnight  on  Sunday. 

1668.  In  October,  1668,  the  law  as  to  attending  public  wor- 
ship was  amended  so  that  the  judge  might  find  the  accused 
guilty  unless  "  he  make  it  appear  that  he  did  attend  ...  or 
was  necessarily  detained  therefrom."  This  was  dropped  in  the 
revision  of  1702  but  was  reenacted  in  May,  1712,  and  dropped 
again  in  1750. 

1669.  A  new  act  relating  to  Dissenters,  (non-Congregation- 
alists,)  was  enacted  in  May,  1669,  "  for  the  honor  of  God,  wel- 
fare of  the  Churches  and  preservation  of  the  public  peace  so 
greatly  hazarded",  whereas  the  profession  and  practice  of  the 
Congregational  Churches  was  approved  "until  better  light  in  an 
orderly  way  doth  appear ",  but  as  others  are  otherwise  per- 
suaded, the  Court  declared  that  all  persons  "  orthodox  and 
sound  in  the  fundamentals  of  Christian  religion  mav  have  allow- 


I20  THE    CHURCH 

ance  of  their  perswasion  and  profession  in  church  ways  or 
assembHes  without  disturbance."     This  was  in  force  until  1702. 

1672.  The  substitution  of  the  Charter  for  the  Fundamental 
Orders  and  the  admission  of  New  Haven  into  the  Colony  made 
a  new  code  of  laws  necessary.  It  was  ordered  in  1671  and  com- 
pleted in  1672.  It  was  printed  in  Cambridge  by  Samuel  Green 
in  1673,  ^"d  was  the  first  printed  laws  of  the  Colony.  On  the 
title  page  were  the  Scripture  texts. 

"Let  every  Soul  be  subject  unto  the  Higher  Powers ;  for 
there  is  no  Power  but  of  God." 

"Whosoever  therefore  resisteth  the  power  resisteth  the  Ordi- 
nance of  God :  and  they  that  resist  shall  receive  to  them- 
selves Damnation." 

New  Haven  Laws. 

The  New  Haven  Colony  had  very  brief  laws.  Those  only 
who  desired  to  be  admitted  into  the  Church  were  admitted  as 
planters,  and  none  but  Church  members  could  vote  or  hold 
office.  October,  1639,  it  was  voted  "that  the  word  of  God  shall 
be  the  only  rule  to  be  attended  unto  in  ordering  the  affairs  of 
government  in  this  plantation." 

The  revision  of  1672,  with  the  exception  of  omissions,  made 
but  little  changes  in  the  ecclesiastical  laws.  If  any  society 
failed  to  allow  suitable  maintenance  for  the  minister,  the  County 
Court  would  order  what  the  maintenance  should  be. 

1676.  In  May,  1676,  family  prayer  and  worship  was  recom- 
mended, and  the  ministers  and  Selectmen  were  ordered  to  see 
that  it  was  performed  in  every  family.  If  any  were  obstinate 
and  refractory,  the  grand  jury  were  to  present  them  to  the  next 
Court  for  punishment,  or  to  be  bound  over  to  good  behavior. 
In  force  until  1702. 

1694.  The  ordained  ministers  of  the  Colony  in  October, 
1694,  were  given  permission  to  perform  the  marriage  service, 
but  in  1702,  they  could  do  so  only  in  the  town  where  the  minis- 
ter was  settled. 

1697.  In  May,  1697,  it  was  provided  that  if  any  town  or 
plantation  was  without  a  minister  for  any  year  or  years,  the 
minister's  salary  should  be  collected  and  kept  subject  to  the 
order  of  the  Court. 


IN    CONNECTICUT.  12  1 

1702.  A  new  revision  of  the  laws  was  made  in  1702,  pro- 
viding that  if  no  agreement  was  made  with  the  minister  or  he  is 
aggrieved  by  too  scanty  allowance,  he  may  apply  to  the  General 
Assembly,  who  will  fix  his  salary.  Boarders,  sojourners,  and 
young  persons  living  in  any  family  were  subject  to  a  fine  of  5 
shillings  for  not  attending  private  worship  in  those  families. 
The  Sabbath  laws  and  laws  for  minister's  support  were  both 
continued  in  substance  until  1821. 

1706.  In  October,  1706,  ministers  were  exempted  from 
taxes  and  not  to  be  set  in  the  list,  and  in  October,  1737,  this  was 
extended  to  all  members  of  the  minister's  family.  The  law 
was  changed  in  the  revision  of  1821  so  as  to  exempt  only  the 
polls  of  the  ministers. 

1708.  In  May,  1708,  the  majority  present  at  any  town  or 
society  meeting  were  given  power  to  call  and  settle  a  minister 
who  shall  be  the  minister  of  such  town  or  society  and  all  agree- 
ments with  him  shall  be  binding. 

In  May,  1708,  "  being  sensible  of  the  defects  of  the  discipline 
of  the  Churches,"  the  Saybrook  Convention  was  ordered  to  be 
composed  of  "the  Reverend  Ministers  delegates  from  the 
elders  and  messengers  of  the  Churches  in  this  government." 
In  October  of  that  year,  the  Assembly  declared  "  their  great 
approbation  of  such  a  happy  agreement,  and  do  ordain  that  all 
the  churches  within  this  government  that  are  or  shall  be  thus 
united  in  doctrine,  worship  and  discipline  be ",  owned  and 
acknowledged  established  by  law.  Provided  that  nothing 
herein  shall  hinder  any  Church  or  society  allowed  by  law  who 
soberly  differ  from  the  united  churches  from  exercising  worship 
and  discipline  in  their  own  way.  The  Churches  thus  established 
under  the  Saybrook  platform  provided  for  an  explicit  covenant 
to  be  acknowledged  by  those  who  were  not  members  in  full 
communion,  so  that  their  children  could  be  baptized. 

The  rights  of  Dissenters  having  been  dropped  from  the  revi- 
sion of  1702,  it  was  enacted  in  May,  1708,  "for  the  ease  of  such 
as  soberly  dissent  from  the  way  of  worship  and  ministry  estab- 
lished" by  law ;  That,  if  any  persons  shall  at  the  County  Court 
of  that  country  they  belong  to,  qualify  themselves  according  to  an 
act  made  in  the  first  year  of  the  late  King  William  and  Queen 
Mary,  granting  liberty  of  worshipping  God  in  a  way  separate 


122  THE    CHURCH 

from  that  which  is  estabhshed  by  law,  they  may  enjoy  the  same 
without  any  let,  hindrance  and  molestation  whatsoever,  but  are 
not  excused  from  paying  minister's  rates.  This  was  repealed 
in  May,  1743,  when  a  substitute  therefor  was  enacted. 

1709.  In  October,  1709,  single  persons,  boarders,  and 
sojourners,  were  forbidden  to  meet  in  companies  on  Sunday  or 
Lecture  day  evenings,  except  for  ''religious  occasions,"  under 
a  penalty  of  five  shillings. 

1715.  In  1715,  the  Selectmen  were  to  see  that  every  house- 
holder had  a  Bible  and  large  families  a  number  of  Bibles,  ortho- 
dox catechism  and  other  good  books  of  practical  godliness,  and 
if  this  order  was  neglected,  to  make  return  to  the  next  Court 
who  may  deal  with  the  accused  according  to  the  law  relating  to 
the  education  of  children.     In  force  until  182 1. 

1721.  In  May,  1721,  the  laws  relating  to  Sabbath  keeping 
and  attending  public  worship  were  changed  to  require  the 
attendance  to  be  "  in  some  congregation  by  law  allowed."  A 
fine  of  20  shillings  was  imposed  on  those  who  should  assemble 
in  any  public  meeting  house  without  the  consent  and  allowance 
of  the  minister  and  congregation.  A  fine  of  5  shillings  was 
imposed  for  unnecessarily  leaving  home  on  the  Lord's  Day 
except  to  worship  God  "in  some  place  by  law  allowed  for  that 
end."  In  October,  1721  each  town  was  to  appoint  annually 
two  Tything  men  for  each  parish.     In  force  until  1821. 

1723.  In  1723,  when  the  Baptists  were  increasing  and 
irregular  preachers  took  upon  them  to  administer  the  sacrament 
of  baptism,"  all  persons  who  neglected  public  worship  on  the 
Lord's  Day  and  formed  themselves  into  separate  companies  in 
private  houses,  were,  until  1821,  subject  to  a  fine  of  20  shillings, 
and  until  1750,  if  any  person  not  a  lawful  or  allowed  minister 
shall  administer  or  make  show  of  the  "Holy  Sacraments"  they 
were  subject  to  a  fine  of  10  pounds. 

1727.  The  first  mention  of  the  Church  of  England  or  Epis- 
copal Church  is  in  the  act  of  May  11,  1727,  when  it  was  enacted 
as  to  all  persons,  including  Episcopalians,  living  in  the  bounds 
of  any  parish  allowed  by  this  Assembly,  that  they  should  be 
taxed  alike,  and  "if  it  so  happen  that  there  be  a  Society  of  the 
Church  of  England  where  there  is  a  person  in  Orders  according 
to  the  canons  of  the  Church  of  England  settled  and  abiding 


IN    CONNECTICUT.  I23 

among  them  and  performing  divine  service  so  near  to  any 
person  that  hath  declared  himself  of  the  Church  of  England, 
that  he  can  conveniently  and  doth  attend  the  public  worship 
there ;  then  the  Collectors"  shall  deliver  the  taxes  collected  of 
such  Churchmen  to  the  Church  of  England  ministers,  who  shall 
have  full  power  to  receive  and  recover  the  same. 

Societies  of  the  Church  of  England  "  may  levy  and  collect  of 
them  who  profess  and  attend  as  afore  said,  greater  taxes  at 
their  own  discretion  for  the  support  of  their  Minister." 

"And  the  Parishioners  of  the  Church  of  England  attending 
as  afore  said  are  hereby  excused  from  paying  any  taxes  for 
the  building  of  Meeting  Houses  for  the  present  established 
Churches  of  this  Government." 

1728.  It  was  enacted  in  October,  1728,  that  no  person  could 
vote  in  society  meetings,  except  those  persons  having  a  freehold 
of  forty  pounds,  or  that  are  persons  in  full  communion  with 
the  Church.  The  "  or  "  was  changed  to  "  and  "  in  the  revision 
of  1750,  and  in  1748,  and  after,  Dissenters  who  exercised  their 
right  of  exemption  from  taxes  were  prohibited  from  voting  in 
society  meetings,  except  for  school  purposes.  A  penalty  of  15 
shillings  for  violating  this  law  was  enacted  in  1769. 

1729.  In  May,  1729,  it  was  enacted  that  Quakers  "  who  do 
attend  the  worship  of  God  "  either  in  the  Colony  or  on  the 
borders  thereof  and  shall  produce  a  certificate  of  their  having 
joined  themselves  to  their  society,  shall  be  excused  from  con- 
tributing to  the  support  of  the  established  ministry,  or  paying 
any  tax  for  the  building  of  any  meeting-house.  In  October, 
1729  the  same  privileges  were  granted  to  the  "people  called 
Baptist." 

The  laws  as  to  taxing  Episcopalians,  Quakers  and  Baptists 
were  in  force  until  1784,  when  a  modified  form  of  law  apply- 
ing to  all  tolerated  Dissenters  was  enacted.  The  law  as  to  Epis- 
copalians, before  1784,  was  much  less  liberal  than  the  law  as 
to  Baptists  and  Quakers. 

1735.  In  May,  1735,  the  law  gave  the  collectors  of  the 
Established  Churches  the  power  of  constables  and  after  receiv- 
ing the  names  and  amounts  assessed  in  the  society,  the  collector 
was  given  a  warrant  against  every  person  on  the  list,  which  war- 
rant he  could  serve  in  case  of  necessity.     The  minister's  rates 


124  THE    CHURCH 

collected  by  him  were  paid  over  directly  to  the  minister.  This 
law  was  in  force  until  1821. 

1737.  In  1737,  an  act  was  passed  permitting  the  Western 
land  fund  to  be  appropriated  "to  the  support  of  the  Gospel 
Ministry."  This  was  repealed  in  1740.  A  new  law  on  the 
same  subject  was  passed  in  1795. 

1740-42.  In  October,  1740,  "  considering  the  unhappy  mis- 
understandings and  divisions",  a  General  Consociation  of  the 
Churches  of  the  Colony  was  ordered  to  be  convened  at  Guil- 
ford, at  the  expense  of  the  Colony.  In  May,  1742,  referring  to 
the  endeavor  of  the  said  Consociation  "  to  prevent  the  growing 
disorders  amongst  the  ministers  and  churches  settled  by  order 
of  the  Assembly",  and  reciting  that  divers  ministers  go  into 
and  preach  in  parishes  under  the  care  of  other  ministers,  and 
also  sundry  illiterate  persons  who  have  no  authority  whatever, 
publicly  preach  and  exhort,  it  was  enacted  that  no  licensed 
minister  or  any  person  not  a  settled  and  ordained  minister  go 
into  any  parish  and  hold  service  without  being  expressly  invited 
by  the  minister  of  the  parish  or  of  the  congregation,  nor  meet 
in  any  irregular  association,  under  penalty  of  forfeiting  all 
benefit  of  the  law  for  minister's  support,  while  the  irregular 
preacher  was  to  be  bound  over  to  his  peaceable  and  good 
behavior  to  the  next  County  Court.  If  any  foreigner  or 
stranger  so  offend  he  shall  be  sent  out  of  the  Colony  as  a 
vagrant  person.     This  law  was  dropped  in  1750. 

In  October,  1742,  ministers  that  were  not  educated  at  Yale 
or  Harvard  College,  or  some  other  allowed  Protestant  college 
or  university,  were  denied  the  benefit  of  the  laws  for  the  sup- 
port of  the  ministry.  This  law  was  enacted  to  be  in  force  four 
years  only. 

1743.  The  Moravians  had  a  mission  among  the  Indians  of 
Sharon  and  Kent  and  were  said  to  have  been  stirring  up  discord 
among  the  people,  whereupon  it  was  enacted  in  May,  1743,  that 
all  foreigners  or  persons  suspected  of  seditious  designs,  or  of 
being  spies,  should  be  brought  before  the  Governor  for  exam- 
ination. 

At  the  same  session,  the  toleration  act  of  1708  was  repealed, 
because  Congregational  Separatists,  for  whom  it  was  never 
intended,  tried  to  take  the  benefit  thereof.     As  a  substitute  for 


IN    CONNECTICUT.  1 25 

the  repealed  act,  any  of  his  Majesty's  subjects,  being  Protes- 
tants, inhabitants  of  this  Colony,  and  dissenting-  from  the  estab- 
lished worship,  were  given  permission  to  ask  for  privileges  in 
Church  ways,  and  if  they  had  any  distinguishing  character  from 
Presbyterians  or  Congregationalists,  they  "  may  expect  indul- 
gence of  this  Assembly." 

In  October,  1743,  a  law  was  enacted  against  such  vagrant 
preachers  as  had  been  sent  out  of  the  Colony  and  returned 
again  to  preach  or  exhort.     This  law  was  dropped  in  1750. 

1747.  In  1747,  it  was  enacted  that  when  any  parish  or  relig- 
ious society  allowed  by  law,  (those  only  tolerated  by  the  laws 
of  this  Colony  and  dissenting  from  us  excepted,)  shall  vote  to 
build  a  meeting-house,  they  shall  apply  to  the  County  Court  to 
fix  the  place  where  it  shall  stand.  The  clerk  of  the  society  was 
required  to  report  the  doings  of  the  society  and  progress  of 
the  building  to  the  County  Court.  A  fine  of  $134.00  was 
imposed  for  building  a  meeting-house  without  complying  with 
this  act.     This  law  was  in  force  until  182 1. 

1750.  Another  revision  was  made  1750,  which  omitted 
sundry  laws  and  also  enacted  a  law  against  the  denial  of  God 
or  the  Holy  Trinity,  punishable  by  disability  to  hold  office,  and 
for  a  second  offence  disability  to  sue,  or  be  guardian,  executor 
or  administrator  on  any  estate.  Continued  until  1821.  Those 
who  profaned  the  Lord's  day  or  disturbed  any  congregation 
allowed  for  the  worship  of  God,  were  to  "  be  publicly  whipt  not 
exceeding  Twenty  stripes."  The  laws  relating  to  attending 
public  worship  were  amended  by  a  proviso  "  That  this  act  shall 
not  be  taken  or  construed  to  hinder  the  meeting  of  such  Persons 
upon  any  Religious  Occasion." 

1752.  In  May,  1752,  the  Honorable  Society  in  Scotland  for 
Propagating  Christian  Knowledge  was  given  liberty  to  solicit 
contributions  from  various  Churches  and  such  contributions 
were  recommended. 

In  October,  1752,  upon  the  memorial  of  certain  "professors 
of  the  Church  of  England  "  of  Newtown,  they  were  exempted 
from  paying  taxes  to  support  the  ministry.  This  grant  changed 
their  rights  under  the  former  laws  in  no  way  except  that  they 
did  not  have  to  pay  taxes  to  the  Congregational  collector 
to  be  by  him  paid  back  to  the  Episcopal  minister,  and  that  the 


126  THE    CHURCH 

exemption  was  not  conditional  on  their  church  attendance, 
nor  on  the  residence  of  the  minister.  The  inhabitants  of  the 
said  town  were  given  power  to  lay  taxes,  etc.,  exclusive  of  the 
Episcopalians. 

1757.  In  May,  1757,  the  parishioners  of  the  Baptist  Church 
at  Enfield  were  exempted  from  taxes  for  support  of  the  minis- 
try and  for  building  meeting-houses  of  the  Established  Order. 
In  1764,  like  privileges  were  granted  the  Baptists  of  Somers  and 
Suffield  attending  at  Enfield,  and  to  those  of  Willington  and 
Windsor,  attending  at  Stafford. 

1761.  In  May,  1761,  the  parishioners  of  Trinity  Church, 
(Episcopal,)  of  Fairfield,  were  given  power  to  ojganize,  appoint 
a  collector,  lay  taxes  for  supporting  the  minister  and  for  build- 
ing and  repairing  their  church,  substantially  the  same  as  the 
established  churches. 

1764.  In  October,  1764,  Societies  and  parishes  were  author- 
ized to  elect  a  Society  Treasurer,  with  the  same  powers  as 
Town  Treasurers. 

Illegal  voting  in  societies  meeting  was  made  punishable  by 
a  fine  of  15  shillings. 

1766.  In  October,  1766,  the  oaths  agreeable  to  an  Act  of 
Parliament  of  Allegiance  and  Supremacy,  Declaration  against 
Popery  and  Oath  of  Abjuration  were  ordered  "printed  with  the 
acts  of  this  Assembly  "  and  were  so  printed. 

1769.  In  January,  1769,  Joseph  Meeham,  a  Baptist  minister 
of  Enfield,  who  had  married  a  member  of  his  flock,  contrary 
to  law,  (as  he  was  not  a  minister  of  the  Established  Order,) 
was  fined ;  but  the  fine  was  remitted  as  there  was  no  criminal 
intent. 

1770.  In  May,  1770,  the  Episcopal  Church  called  St.  John's 
in  New  Milford,  and  in  October,  1770,  the  Church  in  the  town 
of  Pomfret,  in  the  parish  of  Brooklyn,  were  respectively  given 
like  privileges  with  Trinity  Church  of  Fairfield.  These  three 
Churches  at  Fairfield,  New  Milford  and  Brooklyn,  were  the 
only  Episcopal  Churches  in  the  Colony  established  by  law.  It 
was,  however,  the  intention  of  the  Legislature  to  establish  the 
Episcopal  Church  at  Newtown,  as  appears  from  the  original  bill 
in  Vol.  10,  Ecclesiastical  Manuscripts,  but  when  the  bill  was  put 
in  its  final  form,  the  rights  voted  to  be  given  to  the  said  Church 


IN    CONNECTICUT.  12/ 

were,  by  an  error,  given  to  such  inhabitants  of  the  town  as  were 
not  Episcopahans.  In  October,  1770,  it  was  enacted  that  those 
who  dissent  from  the  Standing  Order  "and  attend  public  Wor- 
ship by  themselves  "  shall  not  incur  the  penalties  of  the  law 
"for  not  attending"  Worship  on  the  Lord's  Day. 

1777.  In  May,  1777,  a  law  was  passed  giving  the  Strict  Con- 
gregationalists  who  have  separated  from  the  churches  and  con- 
gregations established  by  law,  substantially  the  same  right  of 
organization  and  maintenance  as  other  churches  and  exempting 
them,  under  certain  conditions,  from  taxes  for  the  Established 
Church. 

The  conditions  of  exemption  were  more  numerous  and  rigid 
than  that  required  of  the  Episcopalians  or  other  Dissenters, 
even  requiring  that  all  of  the  names  of  the  persons  attending 
the  Separate  Churches  shall  be  lodged  with  the  clerk  of  the 
established  society  where  they  dwell.  In  one  particular  the 
Episcopalians  fared  harder  than  any  other  Dissenters.  They 
were  the  only  denomination  whose  taxes  had  to  pass  through 
the  hands  of  the  Congregational  collector,  and  whose  exemption 
was  conditioned  on  the  abode  of  their  minister.  On  the  whole 
the  Separates  had  the  greatest  grievance  under  the  law  and  the 
Episcopalians  the  next. 

1784.  An  entire  new  revision  of  the  laws  was  adopted  in 
1784,  after  the  return  of  peace,  and  which  in  terms  repealed  all 
former  laws.  The  principal  change  in  ecclesiastical  matters 
was  the  act  relating  to  Dissenters  from  the  Standing  Order 
which,  for  the  first  time,  placed  all  Dissenters  on  the  same  level, 
although  they  were  still  less  favored  than  the  regulars. 

It  provided  that  all  Dissenters  "whether  of  the  Episcopal 
Church  or  those  Congregationalists  called  Separates,  or  the 
People  called  Baptists  or  Quakers,  or  any  other  Denomination  " 
who  have  formed  into  distinct  bodies,  attend  and  support  public 
worship,  and  file  a  certificate  to  that  effect  with  the  clerk  of  the 
society  where  they  dwell,  signed  by  their  minister,  shall  be 
exempt  from  taxes  for  the  support  of  such  society.  Also  that 
such  organized  Dissenters  shall  have  substantially  the  same 
powers  and  privileges  as  the  Ecclesiastical  Societies  established 
by  law.  Also  that  all  persons  who  do  not  attend  and  help  sup- 
port any  other  Public  Worship  shall  be  taxed  in  the  Society 
where  they  dwell. 


128  "         THE    CHURCH 

In  order  to  prevent  a  misconstruction  of  the  law  for  not 
attending,  on  the  Lord's  day,  the  worship  and  ministry  estab- 
lished by  law,  it  was  enacted  that  persons  professing  the  Chris- 
tian religion  and  dissenting  from  the  established  way,  shall  not 
be  prosecuted  for  non-attendance  "  on  account  of  their  meeting 
together  by  themselves  on  said  day  for  public  worship  in  a  way 
agreeable  to  their  conscience." 

1791.  In  May,  1791,  an  act  was  passed  in  addition  to  and  in 
alteration  of  the  exemption  certificate  law  of  1784,  whereby 
no  certificate  was  legal  unless  issued  by  two  justices,  (or  by  one 
in  case  the  town  did  not  have  two,)  after  an  examination  of  the 
person  claiming  exemption,  and  a  decision  that  the  claim  was 
"  well  founded."  This  act,  together  with  the  act  which  it 
amended,  was  repealed  in  October,  1791,  and  a  new  act  passed 
granting  exemption  on  the  same  conditions  as  before,  upon 
filing  a  certificate  merely  signed  by  the  applicant,  instead  of  by 
the  minister  or  justices.  The  names  of  the  various  dissenting 
denominations  were  omitted.  The  revision  of  1784  is  the  only 
instance  noted  in  which  the  word  "Episcopal  "  occurs  in  the 
statutes.     The  word  Methodist  does  not  appear  in  any  revision. 

1792.  In  October,  1792,  contributions  were  ordered  in  the 
several  religious  Societies  and  Congregations  in  this  State,  on 
the  first  Sabbath  of  May  annually,  for  three  years,  for  the 
support  of  such  Missionaries  as  the  General  Association  of  this 
State  shall  employ  in  the  Northern  and  Western  States  where 
"  the  ordinances  of  the  Gospel  are  not  established." 

1795.  In  May,  1795,  the  General  Assembly  were  given 
power,  on  a  proper  petition,  to  authorize  any  school  society  to 
appropriate  the  State  school  fund  for  the  support  of  the  Chris- 
tian ministry,  or  the  public  worship  of  God;  the  same  to  be 
used  for  the  benefit  of  all  religious  societies,  churches  or  con- 
gregations of  all  denominations  of  Christians  within  its  limits, 
and  to  be  proportioned  according  to  the  list  of  persons  and 
estates,  including  all  individuals  who  may  compose  a  part  only 
of  such  society,  church,  or  congregation.  This  was  in  force 
until  the  revision  of  182 1,  after  which  school  money  appro- 
priated for  any  other  purpose  was  to  be  forfeited. 

1796.  Another  revision  of  the  laws  was  made  in  1796,  with 
no  important  change  in  ecclesiastical  matters. 


IN    CONNECTICUT.  I  29 

1808.  The  same  is  true  with  reference  to  the  revision  of 
1808. 

1816.  In  May,  1816,  the  penalty  for  blasphemy  was  changed 
from  whipping  to  imprisonment  not  exceeding  two  years,  with 
power  to  bind  over  for  good  behavior. 

1817.  In  May,  1817,  the  exemption  certificate  law  of  1791 
for  Dissenters  was  repealed  and  a  new  law  enacted,  whereby 
any  person  could  withdraw  from  any  religious  society  to  which 
he  belonged  and  join  any  other  society  of  a  different  denomina- 
tion, by  leaving  a  certificate  thereof  with  the  town  clerk,  and 
thereupon  would  not  be  liable  for  any  future  expense  of  the 
society  from  which  he  withdraws.  Under  this  law  all  religious 
societies  were  for  the  first  time  placed  on  precisely  the  same 
footing,  excepting  that  every  one  who  had  not  withdrawn  was 
supposed  to  belong  to  the  parish  of  the  Standing  Order  within 
which  he  resided.  The  revision  of  1784  placed  all  denom- 
inations on  substantially  the  same  footing,  but  there  was  still 
a  lack  of  equality  in  that  Dissenters  were  required  to  file  a 
certificate  and  the  Standing  Order  were  not,  and  further,  it 
made  no  difference  with  the  taxes  of  one  belonging  to  the 
Standing  Order  whether  he  regularly  attended  public  worship 
or  not,  while  this  fact  did  make  a  difference  with  the  taxes  of 
Dissenters,  provided  they  helped  to  support  a  dissenting  society. 

1818.  After  the  adoption  of  the  new  constitution  in  1818, 
a  new  revision  was  necessary  and  was  printed  in  1821. 

The  new  constitution  declared  that,  "  The  exercise  and  enjoy- 
ment of  religious  profession  and  worship,  without  discrimina- 
tion, shall  forever  be  free  to  all  persons  in  this  state."  That 
"  No  preference  shall  be  given  by  law  to  any  christian  sect  or 
mode  of  worship",  and  that  "  no  person  shall,  by  law,  be 
compelled  to  join  or  support,  nor  be  classed  with,  or  associated 
to  any  congregation,  church  or  religious  association."  Our 
forefathers  came  here  to  enjoy  religious  freedom,  which  no 
doubt  they  did,  but  it  was  two  centuries  after  their  coming  when 
that  freedom  was  fully  extended  to  all. 


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